POLICE NAB SHOOTER IN SURAT

In a major breakthrough, Kurar Police have arrested Santosh Sharma, shooter in the twin firing cases on Thursday. Earlier, the police had arrested five men, who played key roles in conspiring and orchestrating the firings following the incarcerated dreaded mobster Uday Pathak. All the accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Police said, Sharma had fired multiple rounds in the air at two spots in Kurar village, Malad (E). Chits were thrown that demanded an extortion amount of Rs 1 crore each and threatened dire consequences if it was not met. Sharma, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested late on Wednesday evening from Surat. Sharma had met

Pathak in their village and lived in the same flat as Pathak’s in Malad (E). After Pathak was arrested, Sharma attended every remand hearing in the court and met the mobster, which is when the plan to execute the firing was conspired, the police suspect.

The first incident of firing was reported at 1.30pm, where a bike-borne shooter fired a round at Anand Medical and Book Centre in Bhim Nagar, Kurar. Ten minutes later, a similar instance was reported from Shivaji Nagar area, where a shooter fired two to three rounds at Rokadia Traders, an imitation jewellery shop.

Late on Tuesday, the police arrested five members of the gang associated with Pathak— Nikhil Rokade, 30, Vikas Pandey alias Pillu, 23, Jeetu Garasiya alias Chitlya, 30, Suraj Sagre, 28, and Praveen Baviskar alias Parry, 22. Dr DS Swami, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 12) said, the arrested five people had planned and conspired the firing following Pathak’s orders and obtained a country-made weapon. While Sharma just fired rounds in the air, it was these five men who did the recce.

They selected and vetted targets and slipped on the chits in crowded areas to spread terror, DCP Swami added.