Three get 10-year RI for assaulting witness

Principal district and sessions judge Anant Badar recently sentenced three men to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for assaulting a prosecution witness in a murder case in Pune last year. The court also imposed a fine of Rs1,200 each on the convicts — Sadiq Mohammad Shaikh (33) of Bibvewadi, Immu alias Imran Sattar Shaikh (28) of Kondhwa and Munna alias Ashpaq Rafiq Shaikh (24) of Kashewadi, Bhawani Peth. Another accused, Salim Qasim Tamboli (26) of Parvati, was acquitted due to lack of evidence. Police inspector Rajendra Kadam investigated the case.

As per the prosecution, the three men assaulted Ajay Hari Singh Pardeshi (28) of Kashewadi on February 8, 2011, around 10 pm with choppers near Mhasoba Temple in Kashewadi. Vicky Raju Pardeshi (20) had lodged a complaint in this regard with Khadak police station. Ajay’s brother Anil and Sadiq had a scuffle over dancing during dahihandi celebrations in 2003. Ajay was injured when he tried to pacify them.

After that Ajay had lodged a complaint against Sadiq and when he was released on bail, the police externed him from city limits for two years. Following this, Sadiq and his three accomplices killed Anil in 2005. Later, they were acquitted in the case.
The police said that there are six cases of murder and attempt to murder against Sadiq.

201 kg ganja seized in Sangli district
Drug peddlers have taken to vending adulterated gutkha seeing more profits and less risks. This trend came to light during a raid by Sangli police in Sangola taluka.

Sangli superintendent of police (SP) Dilip Sawant confirmed that ganja weighing 181 kg worth Rs31 lakh was seized from a house in Aalegaon in Sangola taluka. The total seizure during the day was 201 kg ganja.

Additional SP Digambar Pradhan of Sangli police said initially a raid was carried out at the residence of one Dinkar Maruti Navgarhe. “Acting on a tip-off, we raided his house near Hotel Nandanvan on Miraj-Pandharpur Road and recovered ganja weighing 20 kg. More ganja was stocked at the residence of Arun Ramchandra Mhaske in Sangola taluka,” he said.

With the help of local police, Mhaske’s house was raided and ganja weighing 181 kg seized. “It came to our notice that there was a workshop next to his house where five machines were used to manufacture adulterated gutkha. The machines, costing Rs5 lakh, were sealed,” said Sawant.

Rs1.3 crore heist at stockbroker’s office
Four armed robbers struck at a stockbroker’s office and took away Rs1.3 crore in broad daylight on Thursday. The robbers, armed with guns, barged inside the office of Shilpa Stock Broking Agency Pvt Ltd at Uttam Nagar in Nashik at 10.30 am. They threatened the staff and clients and fired two rounds in the air. They decamped with Rs 1.3 crore from the office. Ambad police have registered a case and investigations are on.