Ulhas firing: Police station staff turn witness

Thane police have made witnesses of the police personnel on duty at the Hill Line police station when BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad fired at a Sena leader. CCTV footage and call records are being analysed to show that the incident was pre-planned. Gaikwad and two others have been arrested, while his son is still absconding.

Thane: Police personnel who were on duty at the Hill Line police station in Thane’s Ulhasnagar when BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad fired multiple rounds at Shinde Sena leader Mahesh Gaikwad on Friday night have been made witnesses in the case. The Thane police have also collected and analysed call records and CCTV footage from lanes around the police station and a special team is working on tracing the absconding accused.

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Ganpat Gaikwad had claimed to a news channel that he fired at Mahesh Gaikwad in self-defence when he saw his son being manhandled by the police. But police believe that the incident was pre-planned, as CCTV footage from senior inspector Anil Jagtap’s cabin shows the injured Mahesh Gaikwad entering the cabin with him – the video has gone viral on social media – indicating that there was no threat to the MLA.

“We have collected CCTV footage of two-three nearby lanes through which the followers of MLA Gaikwad came and gathered around the police station to create a ruckus,” said a police officer. The footage will help the police get a timeline of all the incidents and show the incident was pre-planned, he noted.

“We have also collected call record details of all the accused and are recording the statements of personnel on duty that day as witnesses,” said the officer.

Till now, Ganpat Gaikwad and two others have been arrested in the case, while Gaikwad’s son Vaibhav is absconding with three other accused.