Mumbai, April 20 (Inditop) Maharashtra Industries Minister Narayan Rane’s cousin has been found dead in a town in Sindhudurg district two days after he went missing, police said Monday.
The semi-decomposed body of Ankush Rane, 49, a third cousin of Narayan Rane, was recovered late Sunday near Nandgaon village, which is close to his hometown Fanaswadi, about 300 km from Mumbai.
Ankush, who has been missing since Friday evening, was last seen around half a kilometre from Fanaswadi in Kankavali sub-district, Sindhudurg Superintendent of Police Ravindra Shisve told IANS.
Shisve said that an unidentified body was found outside Nandgaon village that was later identified as Ankush’s.
“This morning, Rane’s family members came and identified the body. We are sending Ankush’s body for further tests and an autopsy,” Shisve said.
While the district police had launched a manhunt for Ankush after his disappearance, Rane cried foul and accused Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and district Sena chief Vaibhai Naik of having a hand in his cousin’s “disappearance”.
The Shiv Sena was quick to deny the allegation and termed it as “Rane’s usual political stunt”.
The police have, meanwhile, beefed up security in the area to prevent trouble ahead of the elections scheduled April 23.
Rane, 57, was chief minister when he was part of the Shiv Sena, but joined the Congress in 2005. Since then, Rane and the Shiv Sena have shared a mutual-hate relationship.
Ankush Rane’s death has gained political significance since Narayan Rane’s son, Nilesh, is the Congress candidate from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency, challenging veteran Shiv Sena MP Suresh Prabhu.
