Nagpur corporator's house shot at: drug dealer paid Rs 4 lakh for hit, police say

The crime branch is investigating the shooting at the house of Congress corporator Shubham Motghare. The probe has found that a notorious drug trafficker, Vishal Gupta alias Falli, paid Rs 4 lakh to have the attack carried out.

Police have so far arrested seven people in the case: Ankush Tomaskar, Amit Thakre, Rishi Nagdive, Romit alias Pulya Wahane, Ketan Mate, Rishabh Paithal and Kartik Tomaskar. Police say all of them were involved in the conspiracy.

According to the investigation, Ankush owed Falli close to Rs 4 lakh and had been avoiding repayment. Falli took advantage of this and offered to write off the debt if Ankush shot at Motghare's house. Police say this is why Ankush agreed to the plan.

The investigation has also found that the conspiracy was hatched at the office of Ashok Yadav alias Bawaji, whom police describe as a gambling kingpin. Falli was himself present at that meeting, meaning the entire attack was planned in the direct presence of both men.

Bawaji has also been named as an accused in the case. Falli and Bawaji are both currently absconding, and a police team is searching for them.

Investigating officers expect that once the two are arrested, further details will emerge about the planning behind the attack, its exact motive and the criminal network involved.

The crime branch is also examining the past criminal records of all the accused. Police said Falli, Bawaji, Ankush and their associates already have several serious cases registered against them, and are trying to piece together this history to expose the full network of the gang.

A senior police officer said that given the gang's organised criminal activities, action will be initiated against the Falli-Bawaji gang under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, or MCOCA.