Fugitive gangster Nilesh Ghaywal plotted ‘Dhamaka’ during Ganesh festival for increasing his ‘supremacy’ in Kothrud: Pune police

Police had intensified action against the Ghaywal gang after its members allegedly opened fire on Dhumal around 11.40 pm on September 17, 2025. After a few minutes, around 11.50 pm, Ghaywal gang members had also allegedly attacked a 19 year old student Vaibhav Sathe with a sharp weapon at Sagar Colony in Kothrud.

Police said investigation into the offence lodged by Dhumal had revealed that during the Ganesh festival, on September 9, 2025 (Ganesh idol immersion day), Ghaywal and his gang members had allegedly conspired to commit the crime.

Police said Ghaywal allegedly told his gang members that their terror has declined in the Kothrud area. Ghaywal then allegedly asked his aides to do “Dhamaka (to carry out attacks)” in the Kothrud area to increase fear, police said.

As per probe, Ghaywal assured to provide weapons and cash as well as legal support to his members to continue committing crimes. Accordingly, he allegedly supplied firearms and funds to the ones who attacked Dhumal, police said.

The attack

As per the FIR lodged by Dhumal, he works as a “senior technician” at a private firm in Nal Stop area. On the night of September 17, he and his colleagues at work went for a dinner party at a hotel in Khed Shivapur.

After the party, Dhumal came to the Kothrud area in a four wheeler to drop a colleague near Mutheshwar Mitra Mandal chowk in Kothrud, around 11 pm.

Then, while he was talking to his friends at the spot, six men on two motorcycles intercepted them around 11.40 pm. They shouted at and abused Dhumal and his friends. So Dhumal questioned them. But one of them took out a pistol and opened fire at Dhumal. A bullet passed through Dhumal’s leg, leaving him injured at the spot.

Probe revealed that the man who shot at Dhumal was Mayur Kumbre, a member of the Nilesh Ghaywal gang. Police seized a country made pistol used for the crime, along with a used cartridge. Also, cops seized two live and four used cartridges during a search at Ghaywal’s house.

During investigation, the police arrested nine persons including Kumbre under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) sections 109, 351, 352, 189(1), 189(2), 189(4), 190, 191(2), 111(1), 111(2), 111(3), 111(4), 111(6), 111(7), 61(2), 49, 3(5) and sections of Indian Arms Act. On September 25, the police invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in this case. Search is on for eight wanted accused in this case. The chargesheet against nine arrested accused was filed before special court for MCOCA cases in Pune, on January 12, police said.

As the probe against Ghaywal intensified, it revealed that he allegedly travelled abroad using a passport that he obtained illegally. Police said Ghaywal had applied for a tatkal passport at the regional passport office in Pune in 2019, mentioning that he was a resident of ‘Gauri Ghumat, Anandi Bazar, Maliwada Road, Ahmednagar (now renamed Ahilyanagar)’ and changing the spelling of his name to Gaiwal.

Failing to locate him at this address, the Ahilyanagar police entered a “not available” remark on his application which was forwarded to the passport office in Pune on January 16, 2020. In spite of this, a passport was issued to Ghaywal, using which he left India and travelled to the UK on a visitor visa, police said.

Meanwhile, responding to a communication by Pune city police, the British High Commission confirmed in October that Ghaywal was located in the UK. The British officials also contacted the concerned authorities in the UK for Ghaywal’s detention and deportation.

The Pune city police also wrote to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding Ghaywal’s benami properties and suspected money laundering through multiple firms, bank accounts and properties and have sought Ghaywal’s prosecution under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Since September, the police have filed 11 cases against the Ghaywal gang, of which MCOCA was invoked in five. Police said 18 bank accounts of the Ghaywal family were frozen and legal action was initiated against 26 properties linked to the gang.

Police said they have contacted Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for action against two illegal buildings constructed by Nilesh Ghaywal and his brother Sachin, a teacher and an alleged gang member, who too is on the run.