Businessman locks family out of flat, fires 3 shots in the air

Businessman Rajiv Ranjan locked himself in his 30th floor flat in Goregaon, fired 3 shots in the air, and was arrested. Police suspect he was drunk.

It was the most frightening three hours for businessman Rajiv Ranjan’s family in Goregaon after he locked himself in on his 30th floor flat and fire three bullets in the air from his licensed weapon. Ranjan, who police suspected to be in an inebriated condition, was arrested.

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According to the Dindoshi police, the incident was reported at 6.15 pm on Sunday as a patrolling officer, constable Pradeep Dattaray More, was alerted by the control room about a distress call from DB House CHS at Gokul Dham in Goregaon East.

On reaching the spot, More found that the businessman’s wife, Neeta, and their son were outside the house and the woman along with her neighbours were trying to persuade her husband to open the main door. Neeta, 40, told the police that at 5.50pm she and her neighbours panicked when they heard three shots were fired and called on the emergency number.

The police too tried to talk Ranjan into opening the door and finally, when he did after three hours, the team found that the kitchen glass door had shattered, and its puller had been lodged in a wooden cupboard. The glass dining table also shattered. While the bullet casings along with a magazine were lying on the floor a revolver used by the businessman was on the sofa, a police officer from Dindoshi police station said.

On conducting pachnama, the police found a .45 revolver and two .32 Colt and Smith and Wesson revolvers, one of which was used by the businessman, in the locker with the licences in the couple’s names. The police also found 75 live rounds of a revolver and three rounds of a 12-bore gun. But there was no sign of the gun, the officer said.

Ranjan was arrested under section 336 (rash act which endangers human life) of the Indian Penal Code and section 3 (prohibition on acquiring, possessing a firearm, ammunition without a license), 25 (contravention of licence for manufacture, sale, etc., of arms and ammunition) and 30 (contravention of license conditions or rules) of the Arms Act. “We suspect that Ranjan was under the influence of alcohol when the incident occurred. However, we are finding out the reason behind the firing,” the police officer said.

The police are verifying the licences for the revolvers.