Cops nab 3 for killing Thane activist who campaigned against gutka sale

Thane, Police on Thursday arrested three persons within 12 hours of the killing of an activist who had been campaigning against the illegal sale of gutka and gambling activities in Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said.

Notably, in a post on X on September 27, the deceased, Harish Gajwani , who described himself as a social worker, claimed there was a threat to his life and named some senior police officials, alleging they were shielding illegal activities such as the gutka trade and rummy clubs.

He had tagged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe in the post.

Unidentified assailants shot dead Gajwani near the Ulhasnagar railway station complex at around 8.30 pm on Wednesday. He sustained two bullet injuries to the head, they said, adding that an old enmity was suspected to have triggered the killing.

CCTV footage from the area, purportedly showing one of the suspects carrying a sharp weapon near the crime scene, has been circulating on social media.

Police said the modus operandi had similarities to the murder of local Shiv Sena leader Pradeep Purnekar last month, wherein the assailants allegedly attacked him at close range and later used sharp weapons.

The police on Thursday arrested three persons in connection with Gajwani's killing, an official said.

A preliminary probe indicated that the incident stemmed from an old enmity between the deceased and one of the arrested persons, identified as Avinash Naidu, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Gore said.

According to investigators, Gajwani was accused in a 2021 murder case and had allegedly attacked Naidu and tried to kill him. Although the dispute had subsided over time, Naidu continued to hold a grudge and later conspired to kill Gajwani, as per the police.

Gajwani, who had a criminal record, frequently raised issues about illegal activities in Ulhasnagar, drawing the ire of those allegedly involved in such operations, the police noted.

The Vitthalwadi police have registered a case under section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Arms Act and are investigating the incident, they added.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.