Additional Sessions Judge Rajesh Tiwari on Wednesday sentenced six persons to life imprisonment for allegedly killing a Shiv Sena worker who had objected to eve-teasing by them.

Dayanand alias Deva Namdev Khandekar (32), a resident of Upper Kondhwa Road, Bibwebadi, was a ‘shakha pramukh’ (head of the branch) of the Sena. He was murdered by the six accused in September 2013.

Those convicted have been identified as Rafiq Babulal Shaikh (22) and Mazhar Maqsood Shaikh (20) from Shivajnagar; Rafiq Ibrahim Shaikh (25) and Sunil Kakde (22) from Kondhwa; Praveen Prakash Pawar (26) of Parvati Darshan (25) and Rahul Prahlad Nitnavare (26) from Hadapsar.

Khandekar’s wife Shabana (32) had registered an FIR against the accused at the Bibwewadi police station.

According to the prosecution, a few days prior to the murder, Khandekar had a brawl with Rafiq and Mazhar after he saw them passing lewd comments at some women in Bibwewadi. Khandekar had reportedly warned them. After this, the accused had hatched a conspiracy with the others and started keeping a tab on Khandekar’s movements.

On September 22, 2013, at 9 pm, Khandekar was walking home with his son after purchasing footwear from a local store. The suspects intercepted Khandekar and started thrashing him with sticks and smashed a stone on his head. Khandekar was seriously injured in the attack and succumbed to his injuries before he was admitted to Sassoon hospital, informed public prosecutors Vilas Ghogre-Patil and Vikas Shah.

“In her testimony, the wife said that she had come out of her house to check why Khandekar and her son Sachin had not returned from shopping. As soon as she stepped out of the door, she heard her son crying. As she ran in the direction, she saw her husband being assaulted with sticks and later she witnessed the assault with the stone, leading to his death. This proved to be a very important testimony,” said advocate Shah.

Khandekar had hailed from Solapur and shifted to the city 12 years prior to his death.

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