The railway police in Maharashtra's Thane district have filed an attempt-to-murder case against a 25-year-old man who allegedly opened fire at two person at Badlapur station, injuring one of them. The shooting, which police attribute to business rivalry, occurred on platform number 1 around 6 pm on Thursday, when the Central Railway suburban station was crowded with commuters.
Senior Inspector Pandhari Kande of the Kalyan Government Railway Police (GRP) confirmed that an FIR has been filed against Vikas Nana Pagare for attempt to murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act. Authorities are also investigating whether additional individuals were involved in the shooting.
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The incident was captured on cameras and a video of it went viral on social media within minutes. After opening fire, Pagare ran towards railway tracks in his attempt to flee, but he was chased and pinned down by policemen on duty with the help of some commuters. Police identified the injured person as Shankar Sansare, while the second man targeted by Pagare escaped unhurt, but his identity was not revealed.
The police, citing their preliminary investigation, revealed that both the assailant and the victims have criminal records. The shooting appears to be linked to a professional rivalry over the TV cable business in the area.
Badlapur was in the spotlight last month when two kindergarten girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by a male attendant at a private school. The incident sparked a massive protest, with thousands of people blocking trains at Badlapur station on August 20.