3 arrested for social activist’s murder in Ulhasnagar

The arrested accused were identified as Avinash Naidu, Noor Alam Khan and Vijay Puran Singh. According to the police, Naidu shot Gajwani twice at close range before Khan and Singh attacked him with sharp weapons

THANE: The Vitthalwadi police have arrested three men for the brutal murder of social activist Harish Gajwani outside Ulhasnagar railway station on Wednesday evening. Police suspect the murder was an act of revenge for a 2021 attack in which the main accused was seriously injured and his friend was killed.

The Vitthalwadi police have arrested three men for the brutal murder of social activist Harish Gajwani outside Ulhasnagar railway station on Wednesday evening.

The arrested accused were identified as Avinash Naidu, Noor Alam Khan and Vijay Puran Singh. According to the police, Naidu shot Gajwani twice at close range before Khan and Singh attacked him with sharp weapons. Gajwani, 54, died on the spot.

The attack took place around 8.30 pm on Wednesday, when Gajwani, who frequently posted about social issues on social media, was standing outside Ulhasnagar railway station. The three accused allegedly arrived on a motorcycle, attacked him and fled.

The accused allegedly took an autorickshaw to Ambernath and then travelled to Kalyan. They were planning to flee to Gondia in Vidarbha, where Naidu’s wife lives, a police officer said. The three were produced before a magistrate’s court in Ambernath on Thursday and remanded to police custody until October 26.

Sachin Gore, deputy commissioner of police (zone 4), said that Gajwani had been released on bail in the case in 2025. He subsequently became involved in social activism, filing Right to Information (RTI) applications and online complaints on issues he claimed were in the public interest.

“Naidu also has a criminal background. He had been externed from Thane district because of multiple serious crimes registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder and cases under the Arms Act,” he added.

Police are trying to recover the weapons used in Wednesday’s attack and establish why Khan and Singh joined Naidu in the alleged murder. They are also checking whether the two have criminal records.

According to local residents, Gajwani had recently raised concerns on social media about the growing gambling and gutkha businesses in Ulhasnagar. He had alleged that local police officers and politicians were helping these illegal businesses flourish. In a recent post on X, he had also claimed to have received threats to his life from unidentified persons. Gore said Gajwani had also been booked in a gambling-related case in 2021.