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Journalism of Courage
The Pune city police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the alleged prime accused Vitthal Mahadev Shelar and 16 of his ‘aides’, including two lawyers, arrested in connection with the murder of gangster Sharad Mohol.
Mohol was shot dead on his wedding anniversary by a group of men, including his associate Sahil alias Munna Polekar, in a lane near his house in Sutardara, Kothrud on January 5.
A proposal to invoke MCOCA against Shelar and 16 other accused in the Sharad Mohol murder case was submitted by ACP Sunil Tambe to Ramnath Pokle, Additional Commissioner of Police, through DCP (Crime) Amol Zende. Pokle sanctioned the proposal as per the directions of Retesh Kumaarr, Commissioner, Pune city police.
A press release issued on Monday said Shelar has been booked in 12 serious offences in the past.
On the same day as Mohol’s murder, the police arrested Polekar, 20, Namdev Mahipati Kangude, 34, Vitthal Kisan Gandle, 20, from Sutardara, Amit Maruti Kangude, 24, Chandrakant Shelke, 22, of Parvati, Vinayak Gavhankar, 20, of Paud Road and two lawyers Ravindra Pawar, 40, of Nande in Mulshi and Sanjay Udhan, 43, of Kothrud.
They were arrested while they were travelling in two cars near Shirwal on the Pune-Satara highway. During searches, the police recovered three country-made pistols, three magazines, five live cartridges and eight cell phones from their possession.
Meanwhile, a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged in this case at the Kothrud police station under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Arms Act.
The police have also arrested Satish Sanjay Shedge, 28, Dhanu alias Dhananyjay Vatkar, 25, of Karad in Satara district, Nitin Anata Khaire, 34, of Kothrud, Aditya Gole, 24, of Pirangut, Santosh Damodar Kurpe, 49, of Kothrud, Ramdas alias Waghya Marne, 36, and Vitthal Shelar, 36, both from Urawade village in Mulshi.
Preet Singh of Umrathi in Madhya Pradesh and dreaded gangster Ganesh Marne of Karve Nagar, who is known to be a rival of Sharad Mohol, have been named as wanted accused in this case. They are yet to be traced.
The probe revealed that Shelar allegedly masterminded Mohol’s murder along with Ganesh Marne and other accused. The police said the accused procured pistols from MP for committing the murder and practised firing in the Mulshi area on at least two occasions.
They suspect Polekar and his uncle Namdev Kamgude were in a previous dispute with Mohol over money and land dealing. They also suspect that Polekar started working for Mohol as a part of the conspiracy to kill him.
