Popat Shinde, main accused in Sonawane's murder, can't seem to remember anything from his past; cops say he is feigningu00a0amnesia in hospital

Popat Shinde, main accused in the murder of Additional District Collector of Manmad, Yeshwant Sonawane, is employing theatrics to wiggle his way out of the murder charges, police say. He has been acting as though he has suffered a temporary memory loss.



When the Manmad city police visited Shinde at JJ Hospital to record his statement, his behaviour and utterance implied that he remembered neither Sonawane, nor himself, nor the murder.u00a0 He also feigned unawareness about having been admitted in the hospital, cops said.

'It's all drama'

Assistant Police Inspector DK Thombad, whose team had visited the state-run hospital for questioning Shinde, said, "When we asked him about the incident, he said, 'Main kaun hoon, main kahan hoon, Sonawane kaun hain?"

Though cops concede that he has been in a critical condition since the arrest, they say they see through his charade. Thombad added, "This is all Shinde's drama. There has been no damage to his brain. He is a known criminal and wants to wiggle out of the case. However, he is in a critical condition and we cannot be harsh to him now."

Shinde was the one who doused Sonawane in kerosene oil and set him ablaze, after the officer interrupted an oil theft by his gang members at a fuel station 11 km from Manmad on Tuesday. He suffered 70 per cent burns himself when a blazing Sonawane clasped on to him.

Shinde has also been booked under the Essential Commodities Act for the oil theft. Meanwhile, police have arrested 10 others, accused of aiding the crime, including Shinde's two sons.