Father-son contract killers shot woman, cop
PUNE: The two assailants who shot and injured a policeman hours after shooting dead a woman in Wadgaonsheri on Wednesday are contract killers, investigators told the court on Thursday, seeking their police custody. The two, identified as Shivlal alias Shivaji Babulal Rao, 39 and his son, Mukesh alias Monty Shivlal Rao, 19, were remanded to police custody till November 30 by judicial magistrate first class GK Nandanwar.
“The father and son have at least one case each registered against them in New Delhi,” Sameer Shaikh, ACP, said.
The two are accused of killing Ekta Brijesh Bhati, 37, resident of Dhanadeep building, Indramani society, Anand Park, Wadgaonsheri, in Wednesday’s gun attack. Investigating officer Raghunath Jadhav, in his remand report, said the suspects were contracted to carry out the crime. “Our probe has established that the duo have been committing murders, taking
(contract). We need to find out on whose behalf they committed the murder,” the report said. Senior police officials also said the suspects were trying to mislead the probe. “Their statements will be crossverified
supari
during police custody,” said Shirish Sardeshpande, deputy commissioner of police, crime, Pune. After killing Ekta Bhati, the father fired at police inspector Gajanan Pawar of unit 2, crime branch on platform number 3 of the Pune railway station, where the police team had cornered them.
The son, Monty Rao, 19 had got onto the Jhelum express heading for Delhi. However, he was caught by the Railway protection force (RPF) at Daund station.
But, his father, fired another round at a government railway police (GRP) policeman who was chasing him and then headed outside the station, put a gun to a rickshaw driver’s head and forced him to drive to the Maldhakka signal, from where he tried to get into another rick- shaw, but was pushed away by the second driver. Rao then fled into a building from where he was arrested. Here too, he fired a shot at the policemen.
“They had two weapons with them, besides the one used in the firing incident at Pune railway station,” said ACP Shaikh. “While one policeman dodged a bullet from close quarters, an inspector fell off a bridge and got injured during the chase,” ACP Shaikh added.
Natives of Rajasthan, both are residents of Uttam nagar in New Delhi. Police officials in the crime branch also confirmed that the woman was their target. The police are also on a lookout for the motorcycle on which the two had arrived on at Bhati's house. Monty Rao was also seen carrying a bag which was not on him when he was arrested.