Bullet fired at goon hits his girlfriend in stomach

PUNE: A criminal on police records escaped an attack on his life but his girlfriend got seriously hurt in the melee.
One of the five assailants fired at Ajay Shinde, a local goon, who ducked and the bullet pierced the stomach of Meghna Dhanduke (25), who was standing behind him. The shootout happened outside Vishweshwar bank near Kasture chowk in Raviwar Peth around 5 pm on Wednesday.
Meghna is undergoing treatment at a private hospital and her condition is reportedly critical. Police said Ajay was attacked over previous rivalry. The attack created panic in the area.
Ajay and Meghna got down from a car near the bank. Navnath Lodha, who also has a criminal past, followed them in a separate car with four to five others. They surrounded Ajay and Meghna. Yogesh alias Appa Banekar opened fire on him, but Ajay dodged it. Meghna got hit in the stomach.
As Meghna raised an alarm, her brother who runs a hotel in the building, came out. She was rushed to a hospital.
Police said that Ajay and Navnath know each other since long. Both are sons of policemen who are posted in the city police commissionerate.
“The incident created commotion in the area. The suspects sensed trouble and fled in the waiting car. A police marshal on a motorcycle chased them and intercepted their car near Dhobi ghat in Pune cantonment. Navnath and one more attacker were caught while the others escaped,” said deputy commissioner of police (zone I) Mahadev Tambade.
Tambade said a search conducted in the car led to seizure of 11 sharp weapons. “We have launched a hunt for arresting the other suspects. The attack was a result of previous enmity,” he said.
On November 7, 2013, Kunal Pol, a criminal who was also a policeman’s son, was shot dead when Navnath, who was with him, escaped with minor injuries. The incident occurred at Seven Loves Chowk in Swargate.
Police had then arrested Vishal alias Janglya Satpute among others for the murder. Satpute was released on bail recently.
Navnath had a grudge against Ajay because he suspected him to have given a tip off to Satpute about Pol.
A crime branch official told TOI, “Navnath had planned to kill Ajay and Satpute to avenge Pol’s murder.”
Ajay Shinde has registered a complaint against Navnath Lodha, Abhishek Kasbe, Sagar Bagal, Nagesh Ganagwane and Banekar under sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and the Bombay Police Act.
Joint commissioner of police Sanjeev Kumar, DCP Tambade, ACP Rajendra Bhamare, senior inspectors Raghunath Phuge and Shashikant Chavan of the crime branch and Khadak police station visited the crime scene.