The Pune police eventually apprehended Juned Ejaz Shaikh and his gang members after a series of violent acts, including vandalism, that endangered the lives of Yerwada residents and damaged multiple vehicles in the region. Junaid, and 3 other of his gang members, have been charged under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and three of them, including Junaid, have been arrested.
According to the initial reports,Junaid and his aides brandished sickles and swords near the Hyderabad hotel in the area, frightening people with abusive speech and threatening them. The complainant, his brother, and other citizens were also supposedly assaulted with sharp weapons and stones by the gang.
“Koi aage nahi aayega. Sab apne apne ghar jao (Nobody will come ahead. All go to your homes),” the gang members were quoted as saying. The incident is said to have happened in the Yerwada region of Pune on 26th December last year. The accused gang members threatened the local citizens and vandalised around 27 vehicles. The accused members also threatened the citizens using sharp weapons.
The arrested accused have been identified as Juned Ejaz Shaikh, 23, a resident of Laxminagar, Yerwada, Avinash alias Sukya Sanjay Shinde, 21, Mangesh alias Ghulya Deepak Kalokhe, 19, all residents of Yerwada.
Nikhil Jagannath Shinde, the fourth accused, is still absconding. Junaid Shaikh, the gang’s suspected leader, and his associates have imposed terror on the Yerwada region. This organised crime syndicate sought financial gain while solidifying authority in the area. Their strategy involved generating fear among citizens, allowing them to engage in a variety of illegal acts.
The gang operated as a cohesive criminal unit, engaging in a wide range of illegal activities such as robbery, attempted culpable homicide, unlawful assembly in public places, and rioting. They were also involved in possession of lethal weapons, preparations for causing injury or assault, home-trespassing, instilling terror, death threats, vandalising vehicles belonging to daily wage earners, burglaries, and luring vulnerable youths from neighbouring areas into their criminal fold. Previous preventive measures against this group reportedly were ineffective in preventing them from committing serious crimes.
In reaction to their increasing criminal activity, senior police inspector Balkrishna Kadam of the Yerwada police station proposed that MCOCA be invoked against them. This suggestion, which was supported by Circle Four deputy commissioner of police Shashikant Borate, was forwarded to the Eastern Regional Division’s Additional Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma for consideration. Ultimately, Pune police commissioner Ritesh Kumar accepted it. This legal strategy attempts to confront and reduce the gang’s growing threat, emphasising the necessity for prompt action to protect the community from their abhorrent actions.
Team OpIndia called the Yerwada Police Station to confirm the incident. Officer Sachin Mali confirmed the arrest of three persons. Meanwhile, he said that all the efforts are being taken to arrest the fourth accused who is absconding in the case. He also added that the accused members had been threatening the local residents while trying to spread their terror. Further investigations are underway.
