BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, who fired on Shinde Sena leader at police station, sent to judicial custody

“MLA Ganpat Gaikwad and four others were presented in court. We had asked for further custody of the accused. However, as the court believed that further custodial interrogation of the people arrested were not necessary, they were sent to jail custody. The investigation agency will continue the probe,” Public Prosecutor Nilesh Pande told reporters outside the court.

Defence lawyer Umar Kazi said the court refused police further custody of the five accused considering the investigation’s progress.

Around 9.30 pm on February 2, the BJP MLA went to the Hill Line police station along with his supporters to discuss a dispute over land belonging to one Eknath Namdev Jadhav.

“The disputed land falls under the jurisdiction of the Hill Line police station… Mahesh and Rahul Patil also went to the police station along with their supporters to file a complaint with regard to the same land,” a police officer said. They sat inside the cabin of Senior Police Inspector Anil Jagtap. Later, Ganpat also went inside the cabin, the police said.

While the police were trying to resolve the dispute, supporters of both groups started fighting with one another outside. As Jagtap stepped out to speak to them, the police said, Ganpat took out his licenced revolver and shot multiple rounds at Mahesh and Patil.

“Hearing the firing sounds, Jagtap rushed back inside and saw Ganpat sitting over Mahesh and assaulting him with the revolver’s butt,” a police officer said.

At the same time, Ganpat’s bodyguard Harshal Kene also allegedly opened fire at Mahesh.

The police at the station managed to take the weapons from Ganpat and Kene and detained them. Mahesh and Patil were rushed to Meera Hospital in Ulhasnagar and later shifted to Jupiter Hospital in Thane.

Speaking to reporters after the incident, the MLA admitted that he had opened fire but “in self-defence”. He said his son was “manhandled” and “beaten up” inside the police station.

The police, however, said that CCTV footage showed “the firing did not take place for self-defence”. “Ganpat, Sarvankar and Kene were arrested from the spot. After inspecting the CCTV footage, the roles of Ganatra and Yadav came to light and they were arrested recently,” said an officer.

Ganpat’s son Vaibhav and a few more accused are still at large. Mahesh and Patil are recuperating in the hospital.