Cops probe source of gun in priest suicide case

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The city police have intensified the investigation to trace the source of the country-made firearm allegedly used by a 34-year-old priest to shoot himself at his residence in CIDCO, leading to his death during treatment on March 30.The weapon, along with a live round and a spent cartridge, was recovered from the spot, prompting officials to focus on how the deceased, Sameer Rajendra Naik, procured the illegal firearm."During the course of the probe, police recovered 330 cannabis-based tablets, 59 empty liquor bottles, and an air gun from the house of Sameer Rajendra Naik, the deceased," said a senior police officer.Police said that these findings pointed towards substance abuse and are looking into how the firearm was obtained and whether an illegal arms network was involved. Naik's brother told police that he was battling depression and addiction for five or six years. His family said Naik frequently visited places like Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh for religious work and that it was usual for him to travel to northern parts of the country.Around 6.30pm on March 28, police received a distress call about a man found injured at his Sai Nagar home. On reaching the spot, police found Naik in a critical condition and took him to a private hospital before moving him to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). Naik succumbed to his injuries around 7.30am on March 30.A purported suicide note recovered from the scene indicated that Naik took the extreme step of his own will. Following Naik's death, the CIDCO police registered a case under of the Arms Act. .