ABS activist shot dead

Bhidye, who originally hailed from Kankavli, had come to visit his brother, Prabhakar Bhidye, just a couple of days ago. Bhidye was a small-time member and according to the police did not have any criminal record either in Mumbai or Kankavli.

8220;The killing could be the handiwork of either Chhota Shakeel gang or theAshwin Naik, though the needle of suspicion points at Naik gang,8221; said a senior crime branch officer.

The police suspect that Bhidye8217;s killing could be a retaliation for the three killings that rocked the metropolis in the last ten days who all belonged to the Ashwin Naik gang.

The killings include the murder of Dharmatma Pandey on March 6, followed by the murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kedari Redkar and finally the murder of Parimal Shantilal Jain on March 15. The police records show that the slained trio were affiliated to the Naik gang. With Bhidye8217;s killing, Naik had attempted to settle the score.

However, what has baffled the police is the choice of Bhidye as a target. Bhidye could not be described as 8220;big fish8221; in any manner, as he neither had any clout in the ABS nor he belonged to the gang hierarchy, the police added.