2 lawyers held for gangster Sharad Mohol murder aware of ‘mastermind’: Police

ACP Sunil Tambe of crime branch, who is investigating the case, produced the two accused lawyers Ravindra Vasatrao Pawar (40) of Nandegaon in Mulshi and Sanjay Rambhau Uddan (43) of Bhusari Colony in Kothrud, before Judicial magistrate (first class) A C Birajdar in the afternoon.

ACP Tambe told the court that assailants had earlier tried to kill Mohol in October 2023, but failed.

Tambe claimed that accused Sahil alias Munna Santosh Polekar and Namdev Kangude had then held a meeting with Pawar’s assistance.

To probe the alleged meeting, Tambe sought extension in police custody of the accused lawyers till January 17. But the court granted them magisterial custody remand.

Sharad Mohol was shot dead by a group of men including his associate in a lane near his residence in Sutardara around 1.20 pm on January 5.

Lawyers Pawar and Uddan have been claiming no links with murder.

Lawyers claimed cops arrested them while they were taking briefs and vakalatnama from the co-accused.

The duo claimed they had advised the co-accused, who are their clients, to surrender before the police. They also claimed to have called a police officer for this purpose.

ACP Tambe told the court that the police officer had asked the lawyers to come to Navi Mumbai or to any police station. “It was possible for the accused (Pawar and Uddan) to hand over the accused to any nearby police station, police chowky or several police personnel in uniform who were on duty at different locations in the city. But still they went towards Satara with the accused in cars…During searches we found no copies of vakalatnama,” said Tambe.

Defence lawyers argued that calling a police officer for the purpose of surrender itself shows they were not part of the crime.

Tambe submitted that the accused (Polekar and Namdev) got new SIM cards and used it for making a phone call in the presence of Pawar and Uddan after the murder.

Search is on for the person to whom this call was made. This shows accused lawyers’ role in allegedly destroying evidence as per section 201 of the Indian Penal Code, Tambe argued.

Officer said Sharad Mohol’s murder was a larger conspiracy and more persons would be arrested in this case.

As stated in the murder FIR lodged at Kothrud police station, the assailants had taken the name of a notorious gangster who is considered to be a key rival of Sharad Mohol.

Police have not yet accused this gangster for murdering Mohol.

2 more held

Police have arrested two more persons Dhananjay Maruti Vatkar (25) of Karad in Satara district and Satish Sanjay Shedge (28) of Mulshi, for allegedly supplying firearms that were used for killing Sharad Mohol.

The total number of arrests in the case has now reached 10.

ACB Tambe produced them before the court on Thursday. Tambe told the court that the accused brought firearms from Madhya Pradesh. “Four pistols were procured for killing Mohol. We have seized three pistols. Probe is on for tracing one more pistol,” he said.

Assistant public prosecutor Neelam Yadav Ithape sought their police custody for seven to investigate further. Court remanded the two accused to police custody till January 17.

Probe revealed that Polekar, who worked with Mohol, was among the persons who fired bullets at him. Police suspect that Polekar and his uncle Namdev Kangude were having a previous dispute over money and land deal with Mohol, due to which they killed him with a proper plan.

Even though Polekar and his aides are arrested, police believe that Mohol’s murder was masterminded by some other person and that big financial transactions have taken place for commission of the crime.