Neighbours say Dhananjay Kulkarni, a local BJP chief arrested Monday, was devoted to parents
The arrest of a Dombivli-based businessman Dhananjay Kulkarni with 170 sharp weapons and airguns has baffled residents of the area. They recall him as a god-fearing man devoted to his parents. In the meantime, Kalyan cops want to get Kulkarni's custody to uncover the motive for maintaining such a huge cache of weapons.
On January 14, Kalyan crime branch raided Tapasya House of Fashion at Mahavirnagar, Manpada Road in Dombivli. The shop is owned by Dhananjay Kulkarni, 49, the vice-president of the Bhartiya Janata Party's Dombivli unit. "During the raid, we found 170 sharp weapons including 10 air guns," said senior police inspector Sanju John, Kalyan crime branch. "Though the airguns were legally possessed by Kulkarni, he did not have the license for the sharp weapons," says he.
Kulkarni was produced in Kalyan court on Tuesday which immediately sent him to judicial custody.
"He could not tell us why and from whom he bought these guns and other weapons. We want his police custody to further our investigation and will apply for the same," he adds.
Kulkarni is a known personality in Dombivli's Tilaknagar where he stayed with his parents earlier. But later shifted to Gograswadi many years back. "He comes to our Durga pandal every year especially on Ashtami and performs the puja religiously," said a resident of Tilaknagar.
"It is quite shocking to know that such huge cache of weapons was found from his shop," he said.
According to another resident, Kulkarni took care of his ailing parents who passed away over four years back. "He took loan for their treatment which cost over a crore. And to pay off that debt, he started sourcing weapons from Punjab and Rajasthan and sold them at his shop," he alleged.
In the meantime, the Congress party has demanded that the residence of all BJP workers in the area be searched. "Since general elections are approaching, BJP might have bought these weapons to fuel riots," said Sachin Sawant, spokesperson for Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.
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