Criminal shot himself to frame rival in Nanded: Police

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Rural police have said what initially appeared to be a case of gang rivalry and firing in the Bajegaon area early Tuesday has turned out to be a staged self-inflicted shooting by a criminal attempting to frame his rival.The incident occurred around 3.30am, when history-sheeter Arbaz Khan suffered a gunshot wound to his arm and was admitted to a govt hospital. Arbaz first claimed that he was attacked by rival gangster Abu Shooter over previous enmity, prompting police to begin a probe into the alleged gang feud.Assistant inspector Omkant Chincholkar, in charge of the Rural police station, grew suspicious of inconsistencies in Arbaz's statement. During detailed questioning and evidence analysis, investigators discovered that there had been no gang attack, Arbaz had shot himself.Police said Arbaz was arrested last Dec and believed that Abu Shooter had tipped off authorities about his involvement in that case. Seeking revenge, Arbaz allegedly devised a plan to falsely implicate him. In the early hours of Tuesday, Arbaz reportedly went to a spot near the Bajegaon dam and fired a round into his own arm before calling a friend and accusing Abu Shooter of shooting him.A forensic examination of the injury angle, inspection of the site, CCTV footage, and technical evidence collectively exposed the concocted story, officers said. Further investigation is underway under Chincholkar's supervision.