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Politics, disputes and murders, all in the family: How the dreaded Andekar gang has remained active in Pune for 4 decades

Last year's murder of former NCP corporator Vanraj Andekar and the alleged retaliatory killing of an 18-year-old have brought the Andekar gang back into the spotlight.

5 min readPuneUpdated: Sep 8, 2025 07:35 PM IST

Ayush Komkar (left) and Vanraj Andekar (EXpress File)

The Andekar gang is in the news again in Pune. This time, for the murder of an 18-year-old, allegedly orchestrated by his grandfather Suryakant alias Bandu Ranoji Andekar.

Ayush Ganesh Komkar was shot dead in the parking lot of his house in Bhavani Peth area of Pune city on September 5. The police suspect the Andekar gang killed Ayush to avenge the murder of Bandu’s son Vanraj Andekar, 40, a former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator, who was shot dead in a similar manner near his house in Nana Peth on September 1, 2024.

Based on the complaint of Ayush’s mother Kalyani, the police have booked 13 people, including her father Bandu, 68; brother Krushna alias Krushnaraj Suryakant Andekar,40; cousins Shivam Udaykant Andekar, 31; Shivraj Udaykant Andekar, 29; and Abhishek Udaykant Andekar, 21; their mother Lakshmi Udaykant Andekar, 60; sister Vrundavani Nilanjay Wadekar, 40; her children Swaraj, 22; and Tushar Nilanjay Wadekar, 26.

The brutal murders of Vanraj and Ayush have exposed the ugly face of the Andekar gang’s battle for supremacy in the mid-city areas of Pune.

The beginning of the Andekar gang

Police sources said the Andekar family was initially into the business of giving new utensils in exchange for collections of old clothes. In the 1970s, Bandu’s brother Balkrishna alias Balu Andekar, a resident of Nana Peth, attacked a local goon with a sharp knife, breaking his little finger.

The incident brought Balu to the limelight. Soon, he formed his gang, involved in various criminal activities and earned money by collecting ‘hafta’ from illegal businesses and other sources in the mid-city areas of Pune. Balu was even known to have developed contacts with Mumbai underworld gangsters from the Dagdi Chawl.

Clashes were reported between gangs led by Balu Andekar and Appa Taru of Kasba Peth around 1975. During this period, a daring youth, Pramod Malvadkar from the Kasba Peth, joined Balu. The Andekar gang gained supremacy by allegedly eliminating Taru’s close aide Balu Kamble, the police said.

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Andekar-Malvadkar gang war

Police sources said that following an internal dispute, Malvadkar attacked a close aide of Balu Andekar. As the dispute worsened, Malvadkar parted ways and formed his own gang, posing a significant challenge to Balu.

On July 17, 1984, Malvadkar and his aides allegedly murdered Balu with swords in the Shivajinagar court premises. The incident sparked a major gang war in the city, in which at least six people, including Malvadkar’s father, brother and a cousin, were murdered.

Bandu was arrested along with other gang members for these murders. A Pune court convicted Bandu and sentenced him to life imprisonment in a murder case. Jailed for several years, Bandu became the leader of the Andekar gang. Meanwhile, the police gunned down Malvadkar at Kalewadi on November 19, 1997.

Andekars enter politics

While the Andekar gang’s battle with rivals for supremacy in Pune continued, the Andekar family entered politics in the 1990s. Police officers said that while Bandu allegedly handled the gang, his brothers Udaykant and Ramakant became corporators in the PMC.

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Vatsala Andekar alias Akka from the Andekar family became the mayor of Pune city in 1998. Also, Bandu’s wife Rajashree Andekar won civic elections twice in 2007 and 2012. The Andekar family maintained an association with Congress and the NCP. Vanraj, Bandu’s elder son, won the civic elections in 2017 on an NCP ticket.

Meanwhile, the police named Andekar gang members in various crimes. Bandu and his son Krushna were booked in a case of firing bullets at an illegal money lender, Pappu Padwal, in March 2010, but a court acquitted them.

Currently out on bail, Bandu and his gang members were booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for allegedly attempting to murder a rival gang member, Omkar Kudle, in February 2021. In June this year, police arrested Shivam for allegedly extorting money from a fish vendor in Nana Peth.

Family feud and Vanraj’s murder

As per the FIR in the Vanraj murder case, his sister Sanjivani and brother-in-law Jayant Komkar believed that their shop was demolished by the anti-encroachment department of the Pune Municipal Corporation, as per his instructions, when he was a corporator.

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The FIR also said that on September 1, 2024, Sanjivani and Jayant came to the Samarth police station and had a quarrel with one Akash Pardeshi there. While they were allegedly thrashing Pardeshi, Shivam and Vanraj reached the police station and settled the quarrel. Sanjivani allegedly threatened Vanraj that they would not let him live as he interfered in their matter. She also blamed Vanraj for demolishing their shop and threatened to kill him, according to the FIR.

The police said that following “disputes, family feud and a previous quarrel”, Sanjivani and Jayant allegedly conspired to kill Vanraj with the help of Somnath Gaikwad of Ambegaon Pathar. A criminal on police records, Gaikwad was once a henchman of the Andekar gang who later became a rival. Sanjivani, Jayant and his brother Ganesh Komkar, father of deceased Ayush, and Gaikwad were among those arrested for Vanraj’s murder.

The police said that to avenge Vanraj’s murder, the Andekar gang wanted to kill Somnath’s son on September 1. The plan failed as the police, on August 31, arrested an Andekar gang member, Datta Balu Kale, and booked seven others, including Krushna, for allegedly conducting a recce of the houses of Gaikwad and his aides in the Ambegaon Pathar area. Five days later, they allegedly executed the revenge murder, though the target changed.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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