Shiv Sena’s Chandrashekhar Jadhav attacked at gangster Prasad Pujari’s behest, say police after making fourth arrest

The attack took place inside a temple on December 19, said the police.

The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police has arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with an attack on Shiv Sena leader Chandrashekhar Jadhav last month.

Shiv Sena leader Chandrashekhar Jadhav. (Facebook/Chandrashekhar Jadhav)

Umesh Shetty from Navi Mumbai is the fourth person to be arrested in connection with the firing on Jadhav at Tagore Nagar in Vikroli. Police said that the attack was planned by gangster Prasad Pujari.

Shetty carried out the attack with the help of a shooter named Sagar Mishra. On December 19, the day of the attack, the two followed Jadhav as he went to a temple. While Shetty waited outside, Mishra entered the temple and opened fire at the Shiv Sena leader. Jadhav received bullet injuries on his right hand.

Jadhav’s son and some passersby rushed to the temple and nabbed Mishra, but Shetty managed to escape. He was, however, captured in the CCTV installed outside the temple.

The Crime Branch said that Shetty fled to Bengaluru and hid there. A police team was sent there, but Shetty couldn’t be captured, they said. He came to Mumbai on Sunday and on receiving a tip-off, the Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) nabbed him in Koparkhairane area in Navi Mumbai on Monday, said a Crime Branch official.

The revolver Sagar Mishra used to attack Jadhav was found to be stolen. It was manufactured at an Ordnance Factory in Kanpur and sold to a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) employee who retired in 2011. Police traced the ex-CISF employee, who now works as a security guard at a Surat-based firm and said he had purchased the revolver during his CISF service.

The guard said Mishra was his roommate and worked as a driver in the same firm. On December 17, Mishra left for some work and the revolver also went missing, he told police.

After scrutinising Mishra’s call record, AEC officials arrested two people - Krishnadhar Singh (20) from Madhya Pradesh and Anand Phadtare (26) from Thane - on December 25. Police said Phadtare had arranged a bike without a number plate.