The Thane Police have booked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, accused of shooting and injuring Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leader Mahesh Gaikwad inside a police station in Ulhasnagar, under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, said authorities on February 4.
Mr. Ganpat Gaikwad, a three-time legislator from the Kalyan East constituency, had pumped six bullets into Kalyan Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Mr. Mahesh Gaikwad while injuring the latter’s associate, Rahul Patil, late Friday night over an apparent case of land dispute.
According to the Hill Line Police, they have now booked the MLA, along with seven others, based on a complaint filed by a resident of Dwarli village on Saturday under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
As per the complainant, she was subjected to caste-based abuse by Mr. Ganpat Gaikwad and the others on January 31, said the police.
“A probe into the complaint of the woman, who is a land owner, is underway,” the station house officer of Hill Line police station said.
Despite being part of the ruling parties which constitute the Eknath Shinde-led ‘Mahayuti’ government, the fierce political and personal rivalry between Mr. Ganpat Gaikwad and Mr. Mahesh Gaikwad was well-known throughout Kalyan and the Thane region.
Both leaders never pulled punches during their verbal slanging matches in the past.
The shocking incident of Mr. Ganpat Gaikwad shooting his rival Mr. Mahesh Gaikwad had occurred inside the cabin of the Senior Inspector of Ulhasnagar’s Hill Line police station. Mr. Ganpat Gaikwad has been charged with attempt to murder and other offences in the case.
Talking to a news channel after the shooting and just before his arrest, Mr. Ganpat Gaikwad claimed he shot Mr. Mahesh Gaikwad as his son was allegedly being beaten at the police station.
Mr. Ganpat Gaikwad further accused CM Eknath Shinde of trying to establish a “kingdom of criminals” in Maharashtra.
“Yes, I shot [him] myself. I have no regrets. If my son is being beaten in front of the police inside the police station, what will I do?” Mr. Ganpat Gaikwad had said, justifying the shooting of his rival who is now in a critical condition.
While State Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a probe into the incident, the Ulhasnagar Magistrate court on Saturday remanded the BJP MLA and his two accomplices in police custody till February 14.
Meanwhile, former CM Uddhav Thackeray, chief of the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) faction and his son, Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray, lashed out at the Shinde government over the shooting, both remarking that there was “a gang war going on within the Maharashtra government”.
“Ganpat Gaikwad was allegedly trying to grab land, which was opposed by the local women. He shot at Mahesh Gaikwad who was supporting these women. Ganpat Gaikwad has himself said that CM Shinde made him a criminal,” said Mr. Uddhav Thackeray, during his two-day tour of Sindhudurg district.
