BHOPAL: Months before he was murdered earlier this week, Balaghat journalist Sandeep Kothari approached senior police officers several times fearing he may be killed by land and mining mafia. For last eight years, he was framed in cases ranging from goat theft to gang-rape. The accused in Sandeep’s murder were connected to all the cases in some manner, claimed Atul Jain, the journalist’s lawyer.

While three persons, Vishal Tandi, Brajesh Daharwal and Pappu alias Shahid, have been arrested for the murder, the prime accused, Rakesh Narswani, is still at large.

Jain said Sandeep was jailed in a rape case for over 16 months before his acquittal on January 4 this year. More than 20 cases were lodged against Sandeep in many police stations across Balaghat district and neighbouring Maharashtra, said Jain. “Barring one case, he was acquitted in all,” said Jain.

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A Dalit woman, who filed a complaint of rape against Sandeep on August 2013, later filed an affidavit in the same court saying she was forced to register the complaint against him. Jagat Mohan Chaturvedi, special judge (atrocities), said, “Accused can’t be held guilty when her statement is untrustworthy.”

In a false gang-rape case filed against Sandeep and his brothers this year at Bela police station of Umred tehsil in Nagpur district, Maharashtra police did not come across evidence against him. “Besides, call details of his mobile showed he was never in Umred. The case was closed,” police officials from Bela told TOI.

In a three-page letter sent to IG Balaghat on February 5, Sandeep even named the accused saying they had been hatching a conspiracy to kill him. They misled the police and levelled false allegations against him, he said in the letter. The unfolding of events later proved him dead right, said Sandeep’s brother Rahul.