Firing at Kandivali real estate agent: Crime branch arrests three bike-borne assailants after Pune forest chase

Mumbai police arrested three men involved in a shooting of real estate agent Freddy D’lima, following the capture of alleged mastermind Munna Shaikh.

MUMBAI: A day after the Charkop police arrested Munna Mayuddin Shaikh, 34, who they believe is the mastermind behind the attack on real estate agent Freddy D’lima, 42, in Kandivali, the Mumbai crime branch on Friday arrested three men accused of firing at D’lima earlier this week. The trio was traced to a village near Pune and caught after a prolonged foot chase through a forested stretch, officers said.

Firing at Kandivali real estate agent: Crime branch arrests three bike-borne assailants after Pune forest chase

The arrested shooters have been identified as Rajesh Ramesh Chauhan alias Daya, 42, of Kandivali; Subhash Bhikaji Mohite, 44, of Virar; and Mangesh Eknath Chaudhari, 40, of Bhor in Pune. The police have also detained Krishna alias Roshan Basantkumar Singh, 25, of Kashigaon in Mira Road, for allegedly assisting the accused.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Vishal Thakur said a tip-off led the team to the Pune village on Friday morning. “As soon as our team reached the spot, the accused fled towards the forest area. After a long chase, they were apprehended,” he said. The men are being brought to Mumbai, where Unit 11 will question them to ascertain the motive behind the attempted murder.

According to the police, D’lima, who is in his forties and works as an estate agent in Kandivali West, was exiting a friend’s shop near Father Susai School around 2pm on Wednesday when three men arrived on a motorcycle. One of them, wearing a helmet, fired two rounds at him before the trio fled.

Initial enquiries suggest the accused had been circling the locality, waiting for D’lima to come out, officers said. Locals rushed him to Oscar Hospital, where he remains under treatment. Two bullets were removed from his body, but he is still unconscious, the police added.

Zone 11 deputy commissioner of police Sandeep Jadhav said CCTV footage shows the attackers travelling triple-seat on the motorcycle. “We are verifying their movements and tracking the remaining suspects,” he said.

Police said they are still searching for other accomplices who are yet to be identified.