Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) faction leader Mahesh Gaikwad remained in critical condition after Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ganpat Gaikwad allegedly shot him inside a police station in Maharashtra's Ulhasnagar on Friday night. Meanwhile, Thane Police arrested the accused BJP MLA along with two others a few hours after the incident took place at Hill Line Police Station.
According to eyewitnesses, Mahesh Gaikwad and one of his supporters were hit by five bullets. As per reports, BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad and city chief Mahesh Gaikwad were having a conversation in the hall of senior inspector Anil Jagtap of Hill Line police station on Friday when supporters of BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad indulged in a clash and opened fire on Mahesh Gaikwad.
Shiv Sena MLA Mahesh Gaikwad has been badly injured in the incident and is undergoing treatment at Thane's Jupiter Hospital. "Mahesh Gaikwad and Ganpat Gaikwad had differences about something, and they came to the police station to make a complaint. At that time, they talked, and Ganpat Gaikwad fired at Mahesh Gaikwad and his people. Two people have been injured in this. An investigation is underway," said Sudhakar Pathare, DCP.
Thane Additional CP, Datta Shinde said, "(BJP) MLA Ganpat Gaikwad shot Mahesh Gaikwad (Shiv Sena Shinde Faction leader) and Rahul Patil. A case has been registered...Going by what has been found here, there was no question of (firing in) self-defence. The injured were sitting and watching the CCTV screen. There was no argument or provocation. But he (Ganpat Gaikwad) aimed and shot them...Six bullets have been received from injured Mahesh Gaikwad's body."
What is the reason?
The shooting took place following land dispute. This land is a total of five and a quarter acres and belonged to a person named Eknath Jadhav. Ganpat Gaikwad had purchased the land from Jadhav. This land was sold to Ganpat Gaikwad's partner Ranka in 1996 for Rs 24 lakh.
Despite paying Rs 20 lakhs as the first installment and then Rs 90 lakhs, the owner sold it to someone else for Rs 1.5 crore. Following this, Ganpat Gaikwad bought it again for Rs 3.5 crore and gave another Rs 1.5 crore. The land owner demanded Rs 15 lakh from Guntha but Ganpat Gaikwad agreed to pay another Rs 1.5 crore but the matter did not work out.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey took on the '3-engine government' and said "This firing has taken place inside the police station. The one who opened fire was BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, and the one who was shot at was Shiv Sena Shinde Faction leader Mahesh Gaikwad. It is unfortunate that an MLA who needs to work for the welfare of lakhs of people is shooting people. In the 3-engine government, leaders of two parties are fighting and trying to kill each other."
Since last year, both leaders have been in a tug of war over the Kalyan East Legislative Assembly's candidature. Both leave no opportunity to target each other, and the firing incident has been suspected to be out of enmity between the two.
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