MCOCA slapped on 5 accused in Papa Jadhav murder, a first for Rajura police station

Police in Rajura, Chandrapur district, have arrested five accused in the murder of Vinod alias Papa Janardhan Jadhav and invoked sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against them. This is the first time MCOCA has been applied in a case at Rajura police station, and the action has caused a stir in the criminal underworld.

According to police, on August 24, 2026, between about 5:30 pm and 6 pm, Vinod alias Papa Jadhav, a resident of Somnathpur ward, was sitting with some friends near Kirankumar Saila's coconut water stall in front of Rajura court. Accused Karan Durgraj Meklewar and Karan Deepak Baviskar, residents of Indiranagar, Rajura, arrived there on a bike with their faces covered with scarves. Without delay, accused Karan Deepak Baviskar opened fire on Vinod alias Papa Jadhav with a pistol he was carrying, killing him on the spot. The incident sparked panic across the city. A case was registered at Rajura police station under sections 103(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act.

Given the seriousness of the case, Rajura police inspector Nitin Chincholkar stepped up the investigation under the guidance of senior officers. During the probe, police arrested not only the accused who fired the shots but also associates Parvez Sarwar Shaikh, Kartik Umesh Khamankar and Saurabh alias Bhurji Umesh Khamankar for allegedly conspiring, inciting the accused and providing direct or indirect help. Police recovered 3 pistols, 3 empty magazines and 6 live cartridges from the accused during the action.

All the arrested accused are habitual offenders with several serious cases already recorded against them in police records. To completely dismantle the gang's organised network, the police administration sent a detailed proposal for MCOCA action to the Special Inspector General of Police, Nagpur range. After examining the proposal, the Special Inspector General of Police approved the invocation of sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999, in the case.

The action was carried out under the guidance of Chandrapur superintendent of police Ayush Nopani, additional superintendent of police Ishwar Katkade and sub-divisional police officer cum assistant superintendent of police Kumar Sushant, by police inspector Nitin Chincholkar, police sub-inspector Surendra Upre and police havildar Kailas Alam. The stringent police action has created an atmosphere of fear among criminals in the area.