Cops order inquiry into Rana Suryavanshi attack case

Pune: District rural police have ordered an inquiry into the attack on shipping company owner Rana Suryavanshi, who was under police protection following an older incident in Solapur last year.Police recently arrested Parth Awale (19) of Karvenagar and Dnyandev Mahadev Shinde (50), a driver from Solapur, and detained a 17-year-old accomplice for allegedly attempting to kill the 42-year-old businessman near the Baramati airstrip on Oct 18. A senior police officer said the driver was paid Rs 2 lakh to carry out the attack.“Suryavanshi has been under police protection since September last year, with three constables deployed for his security,” the officer said.The officer said, “The inquiry would examine how the assailants managed to reach Suryavanshi despite the security cover and why the police personnel assigned to his protection failed to prevent the attack.”The motive remains under investigation, the officer said, adding that police are also probing how the attackers tracked Suryavanshi despite last-minute changes to his travel plans.“We suspect insider involvement. We are probing who tipped off the assailants and helped them reach the spot with a bouquet under the pretext of meeting the businessman,” the officer said.The inquiry will also examine the conduct of the security personnel, including how the suspects managed to approach Suryavanshi and flee despite the police presence, the officer added.