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Accused in 2012 Pune blasts case shot dead on busy road in Ahilyanagar’s Shrirampur
Aslam Shabbir Shaikh, accused in 2012 JM Road blasts, was shot dead in Shrirampur. Police investigate motive and search for assailants.
An accused in the 2012 Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road blasts case, who was out on bail since January 2023, was shot dead in broad daylight in Shrirampur town of Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) district on Wednesday. The police said the motive behind the killing was as yet unclear.
The deceased has been identified as Aslam Shabbir Shaikh alias Bunty Jahagirdar. According to the police, the incident occurred at around 2.30 pm when he was returning from a funeral on his motorcycle. Two unidentified assailants on another motorcycle opened fire in a busy area of Shrirampur, triggering panic among residents and commuters.
“Two rounds were fired at Jahagirdar,” said Ahilyanagar superintendent of police Somnath Gharge. “One bullet hit his chest and the other struck his leg. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition but was declared dead during treatment. Multiple teams have been formed and a search operation is underway to trace the motorbike assailants. The police are also investigating the motive behind the killing.”
Following the murder, security was stepped up in Shrirampur and adjoining areas, with senior police officers visiting the spot. The public shooting has raised fresh law-and-order concerns in the region, with the police on high alert.
The JM Road murders were a series of bomb blasts on Pune’s Jangli Maharaj Road, a busy commercial stretch, on August 1, 2012. Six explosive devices were planted, of which five detonated within minutes, while one failed to explode. Only one person was injured, and the police later said that a major tragedy was averted due to errors during the assembly of the bombs. The blasts occurred near Balgandharva Rang Mandir, McDonald’s cafe, Dena Bank and Garware Bridge, triggering widespread panic.
In January 2013, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Jahagirdar from Ahmednagar for his alleged role in the JM Road blasts case. ATS officials said he had supplied a revolver to one of the main accused, Imran Khan, prior to the blasts. Investigators also stated that Jahagirdar was the son of a sitting NCP corporator from Shrirampur and came under the scanner after the arrest of four accused in the case.
Police records show that Jahagirdar had a controversial past. In August 2006, he was arrested in Manmad on charges of allegedly assisting a Pakistani spy after officials recovered classified documents, floppy disks, CDs and maps during the investigation.
