Eight youths get lifer in attempt to murder case

Giving a rare judgment in an attempt to murder case, the court of additional sessions judge SD Tulankar on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to eight accomplices of a dreaded goon.

The case relates to the Suryakant alias Bandu Ranoji Andekar gang’s shoot out with a motive to kill Somnath alias Pappu Baban Padwal (37) of Nana Peth.

The incident took place on March 20, 2010, in which the eight members of the gang opened fire from their three countrymade revolvers at Padwal in the crowded Kolse Galli on MG Road in Camp.

The convicted are Farukh Sadik Mulani (20) and Santosh alias Pinkya Bharat Gavate (31) of Nana Peth; Somnath Sayaji Gaikwad (28), Babalu Killer alias Babalu Vyankat Gaikwad (20) and Sagar Arjun Shinde (28) of Ambegaon Pathar; Amol Shahu Londhe (26) of Patil Estate Slum; Sagar alias Pappu Rajendra Pawar (20) of Vadgaon Budruk and Sagar Vilas Parakhe (26) of Guruwar Peth.

The gang leader, Bandu (53), Krushna Suryakant Andekar (21), former corporator Udaykant Ranoji Andekar (39) and Jaikumar Mari Raghavchari (46) of Solapur Road in Camp were arrested by the police, but they were given benefit of doubt and acquitted by the court.

Santosh Gavate was arrested by the police on the same day but the other members were arrested by the Nashik Road police in a case under Arms Act, 1959, and later transferred to the Pune police.

According to additional public prosecutor Nileema Vartak, Padwal and his friends were waiting in Kolsa Galli to go to Goa when a bullet pierced his body from back. When Padwal saw Andekar gang’s Santosh and other members, he started running zigzag and entered a shop in Kolsa Galli.

In the shop, the convicts again fired at him. Two bullets entered his right and left side of chest and another struck his right shoulder.

The police later rushed the victim to Ruby Hall Clinic where the doctor removed three bullets from his body, but could not remove the one stuck in his right shoulder.

The cantonment police arrested the convicts under various sections pertaining to attempt to murder and rioting. During the course of investigation, the police recovered three countrymade revolvers, bullets and a car.

Vartak examined 29 witnesses. However, the court gave the benefit of doubt to Bandu, Krushna, Udaykant and Jaikumar Mari Raghavchari as they were not on the spot during the shoot out.