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How gangster Sharad Mohol was killed by his close aides in cold blood
Ramnath Pokle, additional commissioner of police (crime), said Sahil Polekar bought firearms three to four months back to be used for Sharad Mohol's murder
The Pune crime branch arrested eight suspects in connection with the murder of gangster Sharad Mohol (40), who was charged with multiple homicides, extortion, and other serious offences. Among them were Sahil Polekar (20), Vitthal Gandale (34), and Namdeo Kangude (35) who often accompanied Mohol as his bodyguards.
On Friday morning as well, Polekar and two others were accompanying Mohol. After celebrating the gangster’s marriage anniversary, they had lunch and decided to visit Dagdusheth Ganpati temple. As the suspects always accompanied Mohol as his bodyguards, there was no room for suspicion.
As Mohol stepped out of his house, the trio shot him dead. The incident was captured in CCTV cameras installed in the area.
The incident took place in the Sutardara area of Kothrud when the trio fired a total of four bullets of which three hit Mohol.
The footage showed that after shooting the gangster, the trio fled the spot while Mohol was lying in a pool of blood. That’s when Mohol’s other two aides took him to a private hospital on Karve Road.
Later, Polekar and two others were joined by five other suspects –Amit alias Amar Maruti Kangude (24) and Chandrakant Shahu Shelke (22) from Parvati; Vinayak Santosh Gavahankar (20) from Paud; Ravindra Vasantaro Pawar (40) from Nandgaon and Sanjay Rambhau Udan (43) from Bhusari Colony, Kothrud – in two cars in which all of them fled. However, police nabbed all the accused within hours.
Pawar and Udan are practising lawyers at Shivajinagar court and members of the Pune District Bar Council.
The role of others arrested in the case is being investigated, said officials.
Namdeo and Polekar are on record criminals and have cases pertaining to body offences and extortion registered against them in the past.
According to police officials, more than a decade-old dispute pertaining to land with Mohol had the assailants still sulking within. The land is located in Mutha village and belongs to Polekar and Namdeo.
Ramnath Pokle, additional commissioner of police (crime), said, “The assailants live in the same locality where Mohol also lived. For almost a month, Polekar deliberately started visiting Mohol’s office. After gaining confidence, he executed the murder plan along with his maternal uncle Namdeo and distant relative Gandale.”
Pokle further said the investigation so far has revealed that it seems that Polekar hatched Mohol’s murder plan long ago because he had purchased firearms three to four months back to be used for the gangster’s murder.
Police investigation further revealed years ago, that Mohol had had a heated argument with the trio about the said land and had physically assaulted Namdeo.
In order to take revenge, they hatched a cold-blooded plan. In a short period, Kangude and Gandale gained the confidence of Mohol and became his close aides and worked as his bodyguards.
After the incident, Mohol was rushed to the Sahyadri Hospital where he underwent surgery and later shifted to another hospital. Doctors declared him dead while undergoing treatment at around 3:15 pm, according to police.
Meanwhile, after analysing CCTV footage, Pune city police formed nine teams. In the evening police got a tip-off that the accused were heading towards Satara and their car was traced at Khed Shivapur toll plaza.
On the same day, late in the night police arrested eight individuals from Kikavi near Shirwal on Pune-Satara Road and seized two cars, police seized three pistols, three magazines and five rounds.
All accused were produced in court on Saturday with heavy police bandobast deployed on court premises.
The court granted police custody to accused Pawar and Udan till January 8 and the other accused were granted police custody till January 10.
A case has been registered at Kothrud police station under sections 302, 307, 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 3, 25 of the Arms Act and sections 37(1), (3),135 of the Maharashtra Police Act.
