A 33-year-old man was shot and killed early on Friday at around 6:30 am in the Ambedkar Nagar area of Shirur in the Pune district, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Harish Gangawane. Police said he ran a restaurant and bar in the locality and had an argument with the accused a few months ago. Police suspect the old rivalry may have led to the murder.
The accused have been identified as Aniket Gavhane and Rohit Sonawane, who allegedly fired at Gangawane, and another unidentified person who allegedly helped the duo escape from the spot.
Earlier, Sonawane, who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, and Gangawane had an argument. Members of a local Ganesh mandal intervened and resolved the matter.
“The deceased had gone to the house of the accused’s uncle and requested him to ask Sonawane to stay away from him. Accordingly, the uncle called Sonawane and tried to convince him. However, on the day of the incident, the accused and others waited in the locality. As soon as Harish was passing by, Sonawane fired a round at him from close range. The bullet hit above his ear, resulting in his death,” said Vinod Patil, police inspector, Shirur police station.
Residents heard gunshots and found Gangawane seriously injured at the spot. He was taken to a local hospital where he was declared dead.
{{/usCountry}}Residents heard gunshots and found Gangawane seriously injured at the spot. He was taken to a local hospital where he was declared dead.
{{/usCountry}}According to police, two rounds were fired, and a live cartridge was recovered from the spot.
Four police teams, including a team from the local crime branch, have been formed to trace the accused.
Police said their investigation revealed that Gavhane is an on-record criminal and had previously been booked in an Arms Act case. Sonawane also has a criminal record, police said. The deceased was also allegedly involved in previous assault cases.