Ulhasnagar: BJP MLA Opens Fire at Shiv Sena Member
BJP Kalyan MLA Ganpat Gaikwad opened fire at Shiv Sena member Mahesh Gaikwad & his supporters in Ulhasnagar’s Hill Line Police Station at night over disputed land ownership.
Like a scene out of a Bollywood movie, BJP Kalyan MLA Ganpat Gaikwad opened fire at Shiv Sena member Mahesh Gaikwad inside Ulhasnagar’s Hill Line Police Station on the night of 2nd February 2024.
According to the reports, MLA Ganpat fired at Mahesh over a dispute of land ownership. MLA Ganpath’s son Vaibhav had come to the Hill Line police station along with his party workers to file a complaint in a land-related matter which has been going on for over a month. At the same time, Mahesh along with local leader Rahul Patil and other supporters also reached the police station. Later, MLA Ganpat also came to the police station with his supporters. All of them were seated inside the senior police inspector Anil Jagtap’s cabin in his presence. The supporters’ crowd was creating a ruckus outside and inspector Jagtap went outside to handle the crowd. That's when the two parties engaged in a heated argument leading to MLA Ganpat suddenly firing on Mahesh and Patil.
Immediately after the firing, MLA Ganpat’s son Vaibhav and many supporters fled from the scene. The whole incident got recorded in the police station’s CCTV and the video has gone viral on social media. During the firing Mahesh was hit by 6 bullets and one of his supporters was hit by 2 bullets. Both were immediately rushed to Thane’s Jupiter Hospital where Mahesh underwent a surgery because of his critical condition MLA Ganpat & his supporters were sent to the Kalwa police station for medical check-ups & were produced in front of Thane court the next day. MLA Ganpat has been charged with attempt to murder under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 307, criminal conspiracy under IPC 120B, and Arms Act. His son Vaibhav & 2 supporters have also been booked in the case. The police said that MLA Ganpat will remain in custody till 14th February 2024 and the investigation will be carried out by the crime branch of Thane police. Answering the questions of the reporters, MLA Ganpat claimed the act to be ‘self defense’ & said “Yes, I shot (him) myself. I have no regrets. If my son is being beaten in front of the police inside the police station, what will I do?” However, the CCTV footage doesn’t show the firing as an act of self-defense”. He also degraded Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde & accused him of trying to create a ‘kingdom of criminals’ in the state. Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.
