Inspector on hunt to nab suspects gets shot at Pune railway station
Early on Wednesday morning, Ekta Bhati, 37, who runs her own catering business, was shot dead by two persons at her home in Chandannagar.The assailants shot her dead while she was climbing down the staircase of her housing society.
Pune witnessed three incidents involving guns being fired on Wednesday, two of which were linked. One woman was shot dead and a police inspector was then injured as Pune police chased down and cornered the woman’s killers at the Pune railway station.
The incidents unfolded within 12 hours across the city, from Wadgaonsheri to the Pune railway station, and then in a separate case of gun fire in Kondhwa. A jeweller was shot at by two men in Kondhwa in the afternoon.
However, early on Wednesday morning, Ekta Bhati, 37, who runs her own catering business, was shot dead by two persons at her home in Chandannagar.The assailants shot her dead while she was climbing down the staircase of her housing society. “These incidents have occurred due to personal enmity and have nothing to do with law and order situation in the city,” said Sameer Shaikh, assistant commissioner of police, crime-1.
The suspects have been identified as Babulal Shivlal Rao, 39, and Mukesh Jagram Rao, whose age could not be confirmed. “We received CCTV footage of the two and learned around 5pm that they were at the Pune railway station. Jhelum Express leaves Pune at around 5:20pm. PI Gajanan Pawar, in charge of Unit-2 was with one other policeman (constable Mohsin Shaikh) when the two assailants were identified by them. When the cops started frisking the two, Babulal reached his back pocket and fired a shot that got lodged in Pawar’s cheek. The other gunshot hit Pawar’s stomach,” said Shirish Sardeshpande, deputy commissioner of police, crime.
“Shots were fired at around 5:20pm near Jhelum Express on platform number 3 where the city crime branch had set a trap for suspects in a firing incident in the city. One was arrested in a joint effort by local and railway police in jurisdiction of Samarth police station,” said Deepak Sakore, superintendent of police, (government railway police) GRP.
“We heard the gunshot (while on the bridge) and saw Babulal come up the bridge. Babulal exited the station and tried to board a rickshaw. But the rickshaw driver pushed him out after which he ran all the way to a building in Maldhakka area. He got stuck in the water tank of the building and that is where we caught him,” said constable Pravin Wadekar of GRP, who along with Constable Sachin Sawant and Naik Yuvraj Takawade, followed the assailant after they had shot Pawar.
Meanwhile, Mukesh had escaped via Jhelum Express and was apprehended at Daund station by railway protection force (RPF).
“Information about the suspect was forwarded by CIB Pune inspector Shri Sunil Chate to Daund Railway Protection Force (RPF).Daund RPF constable Pradip Goyekar (CIB) apprehended the accused from Jhelum express at Daund Station. The accused said his name was Mukesh Jagram Rao and he was in possession of a knife,” said D Vikas, divisional security commissioner, Pune, RPF. We have sent a team to Daund to identify the second suspect,” DCP Sardeshpande said.
During interrogation, Babulal revealed to the police that the deceased woman’s husband, Brijesh Bhati, 37, owed him Rs 9 lakh. Bhati used to run a property brokerage business in Delhi. “He (Babulal) owns a JCB machine which he claims was rented to Bhati and therefore, he claims that Bhati owed him Rs 9 lakh in the form of rent,” said DCP Sardeshpande.
“Brijesh Bhati had been arrested in a sexual assault case one year ago in Delhi. The complainant had alleged that he owed her ~63 lakh. Bhati brought this information to our notice after we asked him if he suspected anyone,” DCP Sardeshpande.
As PI Pawar underwent tests and surgery at Ruby Hall hospital, his blood and Babulal’s footwear lay stwern on platform number 3 of Pune station. Forensic experts gathered information from the site and a separate case will be filed at Pune railway police station in the firing incident.
Kondhwa firing
In yet another incident of shooting, a worker at a jewellery shop was shot at by unidentified suspects. According to officials, around four to five people came at Ganesh Jewellers in Yeolewadi area in Kondhwa. One of them opened fire at the worker of the jewellery shop. When the assailants opened fire, the shop owner was not present in the shop. The suspects then fled the spot immediately on a motorbike. Amrut Meghwal, 25, who has been working at the shop since last four years, sustained injuries in the incident.