Kalyan-Dombivli Sena man attacked with chopper

THANE, MAY 6: In the eighth attack of its kind on Shiv Sainiks since the Cong-DF Government came to power in the State, a brutal attempt w...

THANE, MAY 6: In the eighth attack of its kind on Shiv Sainiks since the Cong-DF Government came to power in the State, a brutal attempt was made on the life of Kalyan-Dombivli Sena corporator Sopanrao Nichal around 11.45 pm on Friday in Kalyan East. Two persons belonging to ganglord Arun Gawli’s political front, the Akhil Bharatiya Sena, have been detained by the police.

Vibhag pramukh Gabhaji Lad who was with him was also attacked and is undergoing treatment at the Sridevi hospital. Nichal is in the intensive care unit at the same hospital and is battling for life.

Coming as it does in the wake of a string of murders of Sena pramukhs by the Chhota Shakeel gang in late April, it is bound to spread panic among the party rank and file but the police do not see any link. In fact, the latest attack could be related to some personal rivalry, it is suspected.

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According to son Keshav, at around 11.30 pm Nichal stepped out of his home to return some items which he had borrowed from various people for the satyanarayan pooja which is an annual feature on Shiv Jayanti.

No sooner had Nichal and Gabhaji begun removing the garlands around the bust, than Hanuman Gaikwad, a local Akhil Bharatiya Sena shakha pramukh, called out to him.

“When my father turned to see what the matter was, Gaikwad dragged him out of the pandal with his left hand and attacked him with a chopper-like sharp instrument on the head, neck and chest,” he said, adding, “when Sopanrao tried to hold his right hand after the first strike he was pushed down by Pramod Kamble, a local resident and friend of Gaikwad who also joined in the scuffle.

Gabhaji, who tried to intervene, was also beaten black and blue by Bapu Ugle and Suresh Salunkhe of the attacking party. “Salunkhe sat on my chest and tried to strangle me but when he noticed our mahila aghadi chief Sunita Jadhav running toward us he fled along with others,” said Keshav.

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Later, Jadhav called out to neighbours and rushed the injured duo first to the Kolsewadi police station and then the Sridevi hospital.

Gabhaji is out of danger at the moment while Nichal is in a critical condition. Doctors at the hospital said considering his critical condition they would like to shift him to Mumbai but moving him could be dangerous so they would need to stabilise him before moving him. Nichal has lost a lot of blood due to the deep wounds on his head and chest.

The Kolsewadi police who have registered an offence against the quartet under Sec 307 (attempt to murder), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 34 (common intent).

Three prominent Sena pramukhs were murdered by the Chhota Shakeel gang in April alone, taking the number of Sena men killed to seven after the change of government in October.