Notorious criminals attack prison police in Harsul jail

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A violent scuffle broke out among a group of five notorious criminals held in Harsul Jail for murder, attempted murder, and robbery. When prison police tried to control the situation, all five turned on them, attacking the officers. To bring the situation under control, the police used measured force, restraining everyone involved. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon.

The accused have been identified as Ritesh alias Vicky Puse, Pawan Jaiswal, Vinod Shinde, Om Mhaskhe, and Anand Lokhande. Jail officer Yogesh Shinde was conducting a routine inspection of Barrack 2 when he noticed suspicious movements among some prisoners. During the search, a sharp piece of metal, normally used for light fittings, was found with Vicky. He then grabbed the officer’s collar and attacked him. Observing this, the other four assaulted the jail police, creating chaos inside the barrack.

Use of force:

All five accused were aggressive, shouting loudly and physically assaulting the police. Additional reinforcements were called, and the officers used force to subdue them.

Barrack transfers:

Pawan, Vinod, and Anand were later moved to a separate barrack, while the other two remained in Barrack 2. Authorities expressed surprise at how the prisoners had managed to move freely between barracks despite transfer restrictions.

Serious criminal records:

• Anand Lokhande is serving a life sentence for the 2019 murder in M. Waluj.

• Om Mhaskhe, a notorious Pune criminal, was moved to Harsul under MPDA due to serious offenses.

• Vinod Shinde is in judicial custody for attempted murder near Puse City Square.

• Pawan Jaiswal, a well-known criminal from Pundliknagar, recently attacked a police officer and committed robbery.

All five have criminal cases registered at Harsul police station, and Asst. PI Sachin Sadafule conducted a detailed report of the incident on Monday.