The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) in Ghanashyam Bhatija murder case where jailed former MLA Suresh alias Pappu Kalani is an accused today sought police protection from the state government across Maharashtra.

In a memorandum to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, SPP Vikas Patil-Shirgoankar has said that he is handling two “sensitive” murder cases – of Ghanashaym Bhatijia and Vikas Patil of Umbarde village.

Vikas-Patil Shirgoankar was also the SPP in the Inder Bhatijia murder case where the sessions court had convicted Pappu Kalani and others for life.

He said there were 17 accused in the Vikas Patil murder case and it was in the hearing stage.

He stated that he is required to travel from Satara (in Western Maharashtra) to Kalyan on the dates of limits and has been given police protection in limits of Thane district only and out of the limits he had to travel without any security.

He claimed that around 10 AM this morning he received a call from an unidentified caller and stated that the call was from Pakistan.

He has urged the state government to provide him security referring to an accident of 2008 in Shirval area where his senior was killed and he had sustained serious injuries.

A copy of the memorandum is submitted to the Thane Police Commissioner.