CBI takes over probe into Gopinath Munde`s death

Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday formally took over the probe into the death of senior BJP leader and former Union Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde in a car crash on June 3. In view of demands made by several political leaders, the Centre recently recommended a CBI probe into Munde`s death. Eknath Khadse, the Maharashtra unit chief of the BJP, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and even the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan had pressed for a Central probe into a possible conspiracy angle to the mishap in which Munde died. Munde was killed in a collision with a Tata Indica car while on the way to the Indira Gandhi International airport on the morning of June 3. Though the driver of the Indica car was arrested, he was later released on bail. The BJP leader was cremated in his native village with full state honours.