Pune police book eight under MCOCA

Pune: As part of the crackdown on organised crime syndicates, the Samartha police have booked gangsters Suraj Thombare, Somnath Gaikwad and six of their associates under the stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act,1999 (MCOCA)

Pune: As part of the crackdown on organised crime syndicates, the Samartha police have booked gangsters Suraj Thombare, Somnath Gaikwad and six of their associates under the stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act,1999 (MCOCA). The duo was members of the Andekar gang led by jailed gangster Suryakant alias Bandu Andekar.

Criminals booked by Pune police are members of the Andekar gang led by jailed gangster Suryakant alias Bandu Andekar. (Getty Images/iStockphoto (for representational purpose only))

A day before, the city police arrested Andekar along with eleven others under the MCOCA Act. The city police claimed that the action took place following instructions from Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta.

According to the Samartha police, Thombare and Gaikwad, members of rival gangs, were carrying out armed attacks against each other to establish their supremacy in Nana peth locality.

Thombare’s henchmen attacked a youth with chopper accusing him for providing information to Andekar gang in Nana peth on January 23. The youth survived the attack and lodged a complaint against Thombare and his gang.

According to the complaint, before leaving the spot, the gang members shouted that Thombare would be the new boss of the area soon. The accused booked have been identified as Kanifnath Vinod Mahapure (23), Rajesh Mangesh Kalbhor (22), Akash Mangesh Saswade, Suraj Thombare (gang leader), Omkar Gajanan Kudale (21), Shubham Deepak Pawale, Narsingh Bhima Mane and Somnath Sayaji Gaikwad. Pawale and Gaikwad carry police record, police officials said.

A proposal on booking criminals under MCOCA was moved by Samarth police station incharge Vishnu Tamhane and sent to DCP (Zone I ) Priyanka Narnavare. The proposal was later forwarded to additional commissioner (West) Sanjay Shinde who passed the order to the effect. ACP (Faraskhana) Satish Govekar has been appointed as the investigating officer in the case.