31-year-old property dealer shot and fatally stabbed in Pune over gang war

A 31-year-old man was first shot in the head and then stabbed fatally at a restaurant in Pune, in what is suspected to be a fallout of a gang rivalry.

The incident took place on Saturday at 8 pm on Indapur bypass road, around 140 kilometres from Pune city.

A CCTV camera filmed the whole incident, showing two armed men approaching the deceased Avinash Balu Dhanve, a property dealer, from behind and firing bullets at close range. Others also joined the attackers and were seen attacking Dhanve with machetes.

“The deceased was a criminal on police records with multiple cases, including attempted murder and those under Arms Act, registered against him in the past. He was recently released on bail in a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The murder seems premeditated, and we believe it is the fallout of a rivalry between two criminal groups, both of which are active in and around Alandi," Pankaj Deshmukh, Superintendent of Police for Pune Rural jurisdiction, said, according to Indian Express.

“We have identified 10 suspects, including the man sitting in front of the deceased on the table. One more suspect seen in the footage is yet to be identified. An extensive probe has been launched to arrest the suspects,” SP Deshmukh added.

The police said the gang of suspects arrived at the hotel minutes after Dhanve and three others reached there in his car. “We have also recovered two firearms from Dhanve’s car,” said the police.

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