Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A notorious criminal Shaikh Ashfaq(32), out on bail in a businessman’s murder case, threatened citizens with a loaded pistol, saying, “I’ve already shot one, now I need to hit two or three more.”
The crime branch acted immediately and seized two pistols and six live cartridges from him, said senior police inspector Gajanan Kalyankar. Crime branch police sub-inspector Pravin Wagh and his team were on patrol around 11 pm on October 24 when they received a tip that a criminal was creating panic with a pistol near a closed building beside the Maharashtra Educational Planning and Administration Institute. The team rushed to the spot and found Ashfaq threatening citizens. The police overpowered him, seized the weapons, and took him into custody. A case was registered against him at City Chowk police station. Officers Sandip Tayde, Yogesh Gupta, Vikram Khandagle, Rajesh Yadmal, Manoj Vikhnkar, Somkant Bhalerao, Vijay Nikam, Amol Mugale, and Somnath Dukale carried out the operation.
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Criminal with a long record
Ashfaq has a criminal record with cases of assault and atrocity registered at City Chowk, Jinsi, and Begampura Police Stations. He was also a suspect in the December 28, 2028 murder of a businessman in the camp area. He was granted bail during the COVID-19 period in 2021.
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Rising concern over pistol trafficking
Both pistols recovered were high-quality stainless steel and loaded with live cartridges. The incident highlights the growing problem of easy pistol trafficking in the city.