Nagpur firing at Congress corporator's house: hit was contracted for Rs 4 lakh, MCOCA sought

Nagpur's crime branch says it has cracked the case of the firing at the house of Congress corporator Shubham Motghare. Police say the conspiracy was masterminded by notorious drug trafficker Vishal Gupta alias Phalli, who offered a Rs 4 lakh contract for the attack on the corporator's house.

Police have so far arrested seven people in the case: Ankush Tomarskar, Amit Thackeray, Rishi Nagdive, Romit alias Pulya Wahane, Ketan Mate, Rishabh Paithal and Kartik Tomarskar.

The investigation found that Ankush owed Phalli close to Rs 4 lakh and had been avoiding repayment. Police say Phalli allegedly used this debt to offer Ankush a deal: attack Motghare's house and the entire debt would be written off. Police say Ankush accepted the offer.

The probe also found that the firing was planned at the office of gambling kingpin Ashok Yadav alias Bawaji. Police claim Phalli was present at the meeting where the plan was made, and Ashok Yadav alias Bawaji has therefore also been made an accused in the case.

Phalli and Bawaji are both currently absconding and police are searching for them. Officers believe that once the two are caught, further details may emerge about the real motive behind the firing conspiracy and the other people involved.

The crime branch has now begun examining the past criminal records of both the arrested and the absconding accused. Police say Phalli, Bawaji, Ankush and their associates already have several serious cases registered against them.

A senior police officer said that, given the criminal network and activities that have come to light, the process of invoking the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused will now be initiated.