City sees second gang war in 10 days

March 30

Just 10 days after Andekar gang members shot at their rival Somnath alias Pappu Padwal (40) in Camp,around 10 members of the Nilesh Ghaiwal gang opened fire on the rival Gajanan Marne gang members at Shastri Nagar in the upmarket Kothrud area late on Monday night.

Sumit Shrikant Naik (20),a resident of Suraksha Society,Shastri Nagar,Kothrud,reportedly associated to the Marne gang,was hit in his stomach by a bullet. Naik has lodged a complaint against Ghaiwal and his aides at the Kothrud police station. Police said the attack on Naik was a fallout of past rivalry between Ghaiwal and Marne.

Police said Ghaiwal was earlier a close aide of Marne. But following some dispute,Ghaiwal and Marne parted ways and Ghaiwal started his own gang. Now there is a battle between the two over supremacy over Kothrud area. On Monday,around 10.15 pm,Naik and his friend Akash Mokate were crossing the Hamraj Mitra Mandal in Shastri Nagar on a motorcycle when gangster Ghailwal and his aides attacked them. Ghaiwal started firing from his revolver while his members carrying swords and sickle went on a rampage. Naik collapsed after being hit by a bullet.

There was a clash between the two groups which damaged 25 two-wheelers parked in the area. Soon the police reached the spot and rushed Naik to a hospital. However,Ghaiwal and his aides managed to flee.

Senior officers from Crime Branch and the Kothrud police station recorded statements of Naik at the hospital. The police then booked Ghaiwal along with his aides Santosh Gawde,Deepak Amle,Nilesh Gawde,Sada Marathe,Sham Phatak and others under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of Indian Penal Code,Section 3 (25) of the Arms Act and Section 3 of Criminal Amendment Act.

None of the suspect was was arrested till reports last came in. Police said Marne has 13 serious crimes against him,including two murder cases. He was also booked under the MCOCA. Ghailwal,also a dreaded criminal,was booked in two murder cases,including that of businessman Mahendra alias Bablu Kawedai in 2003 and Patit Pavan Sanghatna activist Milind Dhole in 2001.