Gadage had stepped out of his house to feed stray dogs, a practice he followed every night, when the assailant, Shravan Kumar Shyamsundar Dayama (33), started abusing him. During the verbal exchange that followed, Dayama pulled out a sharp knife and slit Gadage’s throat. Gadage was later declared brought dead at the Ichalkaranji civil hospital.
Anna Hazare with Suresh Annappa Gadage (L)
District superintendent of police Shailesh Balkawade told TOI, “Dayama, who has a criminal record, had personal enmity with Gadage over the last few years. They had quarreled over a parking issue. However, the actual reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained. A case was lodged against Dayama some time back for assault.”
Gadage’s murder came as a shock to the citizens of the textile town as he was well-known in public life for more than two-and-a-half decades.
Gadage was associated with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare’s forum for several years and had contested the 2009 assembly elections, securing 1,446 votes. After leaving Hazare’s outfit some years ago, he was briefly associated with the Aam Aadmi Party’s local unit.
Citizens said Gadage was socially very active and used to sit in dharnas and go on hunger strikes demanding action against corrupt officials. He had often taken up public works with the electricity department of the Ichalkaranji municipal council, they added.
Mahadev Waghmode, inspector of the Shivajinagar police station where Gadage’s son Saket registered a complaint, said the case has been registered under section 302 (murder) of the IPC. “The Ichalkaranji court has approved our plea for seven days’ police custody of the accused,” he added.
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