Nashik:
Yashwant Sonawane's death is a testimony to his life which he lived with courage, commitment and a strong dedication towards duty.
His hometown, Nashik, and his adopted town Malegaon mourn a man, whose personal and public life was marked by caring and honesty.
Last Republic Day, 48-year-old Sonawane had stood proudly at the Guard of Honour. On the eve of this Republic Day, his dedication to duty cost him his life.
Yashwant Sonawane's colleagues remember him as very dedicated, and a thorough gentleman. A 1994 batch official from the state cadre, he had worked for 15 years before being promoted to the IAS-level rank of Additional Collector in Malegaon.
At this communally sensitive posting, he had worked extensively on communal harmony, even pushing for a branch of the Aligarh Muslim University here.
As Additional Collector, sources say, Sonawane must have come up against the oil adulteration mafia that runs a strong network here.
Police are looking into whether Sonawane had initiated action against Popat Shinde - the ringleader of the 11-member group that killed him on Tuesday afternoon.
"The culprits target whoever interferes with their work. My brother did good work. Everyone knew it, including the ministers," Yashwant's brother Shyam Sonawane said.
In his personal life too, Sonawane was a caring man.
"He was very good to us. When we were in trouble, he helped us out and assured us," said Madhukar Gangurde, a relative.
His popularity was evident in the crowds that gathered at his home in Nashik for one last glimpse. Sonawane is now survived by his wife and two school-going children.