Two arrested from firing on Shiv Sena functionary

The Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Mumbai Police on Wednesday arrested two persons in connection with the firing on a Shiv Sena functionary in suburban Vikhroli last week, an official said on Wednesday.

According to police, fugitive gangster Prasad Pujari had tasked the accused to shoot the Sena functionary in order to create his terror in the suburbs.

The incident had taken place on December 19, wherein the Sena functionary, Chandrashekhar Jadhav, was shot in the shoulder when he was sitting on the premises of a temple at Tagore Nagar, police said.

While police have earlier detained one person in this connection, the two accused were arrested from Madhya Pradesh and Thane on Wednesday.

According to the official, Jadhav's son and some local residents had caught one of the assailants, Sagar Mishra (22) when he was trying to escape from the spot after the shooting incident. They had thrashed Mishra and later handed him over to police. He is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital.

However, another assailant had managed to flee from the spot on a two-wheeler after the incident.

"During his interrogation, Mishra had told police that he was sent by fugitive gangster Prasad Pujari, who stays abroad and who is involved in cases like extortion, threat to life, attempt to murder in the city and suburbs," the official said.

Police had recovered .32 bore revolver from the spot, which was manufactured at Kanpur ordnance factory.

"Accordingly, the AEC team collected information about the dealer and the licence holder of the weapon. Three teams were sent to Madhya Pradesh, Thane and Karnataka after analysing the call detail records of the accused," he said.

"Based on specific information, police arrested Krishnadhar Singh from Madhya Pradesh and Anand Phadtare from Thane. During their interrogation, it came to light that Pujari had sent Mishra and Singh to fire at Jadhav," the official said.

On the instructions of Pujari, one of his aides had given accommodation to Singh and Mishra, while Phadtare had provided to them a motorcycle without a number plate, he said.

On December 19 morning, Mishra and Singh went to Vikhroli on a motorcycle, where Singh shot at Jadhav by entering the temple. However, Mishra was caught while trying to flee, while Singh succeeded in running away from the spot, he added.

"Mishra as well as Sena functionary Jadhav are undergoing treatment at hospitals," he said adding that Mishra will be arrested once he is discharged from the hospital.

Meanwhile, Singh and Phadtare were produced before a local court on Wednesday, which sent to police custody till January 1, the official said.