Mumbai: Senior Inspector Vilas Joshi succumbs to bullet injuries

Sources said Shirke fired at Joshi’s back before killing himself. Joshi was rushed to suburban Lilavati Hospital and is said to be critical. His wireless operator also sustained a bullet injury to his thigh but is out of danger.

Outside Vakola Police Station. Crime Scene is now secure. (Source: Express photo by Rohit Alok)

Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Dhananjay Kulkarni said that Shirke had an argument with Joshi regarding a station diary entry regarding his absence from work.

DCP (Zone X) Vinayak Deshmukh who inspected the scene of the crime said Shirke had arrived at the police station on Saturday evening in “half uniform”. He had been marked absent twice in the wee hours of Saturday when he was to have been on night duty. “The night inspector marked Shirke absent twice in the station diary after his night patrol upon not finding him at his deputed spot, once at 2.30 am and once at 6.30 am,” DCP Deshmukh told The Indian Express.

Commissioner of Mumbai Police, Rakesh Maria, at the Vakola Police Staion. (Source: Express Photo by Vasant Prabhu)

When Shirke arrived at the police station on Saturday evening around 8 pm and found the absent remarks in the station diary, he barged into the cabin of Senior Police Inspector Joshi and began a loud argument.

Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria who rushed to the police station said Shirke shot his senior, the wireless operator and himself with his service weapon, a 9 mm pistol.

Sources said Joshi was leaving his cabin after the argument with Shirke when the latter, still inside the cabin, shot at Joshi in the back. Joshi’s wireless operator Balasaheb Aher rushed into the cabin and was shot in the thigh. Shirke then shot himself in the head.

People gather at Vilas Joshi’s home.

He was declared dead on arrival at Lilavati Hospital. His body was later taken to JJ Hospital in Byculla for an autopsy. Shirke had reportedly sought a day off on Friday but was denied leave.

Images from Vilas Joshi’s home.

Shirke, 55, was only a few years short of retirement. A senior police inspector, who was posted at Vakola a few years ago when Shirke was still a head constable, said he had found no particular problems with his behaviour or attendance.