Eknath Shinde: Shiv Sena leader Mahesh Gaikwad was shot by Maharashtra BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, who blamed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for the event. Prior to his arrest on Friday, Ganpat Gaikwad remarked over the phone with a television channel that Eknath Shinde “made me a criminal”.
Viral Phone Call Revelation
Within the audio recording of the phone call that became viral following the event, the Kalyan East Ganpat BJP MLA stated, “My son was manhandled at the police station and my land was forcibly taken from me. If Eknath Shinde continues as Maharashtra Chief Minister, all we will see is the rise of criminals. He has made a good person like me a criminal today.”
Retribution for Alleged Assault
The BJP MLA claimed that Mahesh Gaikwad’s shooting was a reprisal for his kid being “beaten up” at the police station. “I was frustrated and that’s why I opened fire. I have no regrets. If someone beats up my son at the police station, what do you want me to do? I didn’t mean to kill them,” said Ganpat Gaikwad.
He added, according to a report by the news agency PTI, that he shot Mahesh Gaikwad five times. But according to the initial investigation, ten rounds of ammunition were shot, according to the police.
Land Dispute Under Legal Scrutiny
Ganpat Gaikwad stated that although there were certain legal difficulties pertaining to a parcel of land, they prevailed in court. But Mahesh Gaikwad claimed he took it by force. According to the MLA, his son went to Ulhasnagar police station to file a complaint against the land.
According to Thane Additional Police Commissioner Datta Shinde, a few others had gone to the police station with Ganpat Gaikwad, his son, and Mahesh Gaikwad. He asserted that there was “no question” that the BJP MLA had fired in self-defense based on the CCTV footage of the incident.
Absence of Argument or Provocation
“There was no argument or provocation. But he (Ganpat Gaikwad) aimed and shot them,” said Shinde. The senior police officer further stated that ten rounds of ammunition were shot and six bullets were extracted from Mahesh Gaikwad’s body at Jupiter Hospital in Thane, according to an initial investigation.
Four teams have been formed by the police to locate others after they detained Ganpat Gaikwad, Harshal Kene (34), and Sandeep Sarwankar (45). They have been charged under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. They were remanded to police custody by a Thane court until Saturday, February 14.
Ganpat Gaikwad Targets Shrikant Shinde
In the meantime, Ganpat Gaikwad also charged Shrikant Shinde, the Kalyan MP and son of Eknath Shinde, with hanging up signs and taking credit for his own labour. “They have levelled a charge of corruption against me. How much money did Eknath Shinde make in that corruption, Shinde should tell,” he said.
In addition, he demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister, alleging that Eknath Shinde will “betray” the BJP in the same manner as he did Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT). “Shinde saheb betrayed Uddhav (Thackeray) saheb, he will also betray BJPâ€æ he owes me crores of rupees. Shinde should resign if Maharashtra is to be well-managed. This is my humble request to Devendra Fadnavis (deputy CM) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Ganpat Gaikwad was quoted as saying by PTI.
Promises Truth and Public CCTV Viewing
On Saturday, however, Shrikant Shinde declared that the “truth will come out” and that the shooting incident’s CCTV tape is available for public viewing. He continued, “A probe is on and we expect the guilty to be punished.”
Eknath Shinde had visited Mahesh Gaikwad earlier in the day; following the shooting, he underwent an emergency procedure that saved his life. Following his visit with the critically ill Shiv Sena leader, Eknath Shinde described the shooting as a “very unfortunate incident”.
Key Location in Kalyan Parliamentary Seat
The shooting site, Ulhasnagar, is located in the Kalyan parliamentary seat, which is held by Shrikant Shinde. Despite being a part of the state’s ruling ‘Mahayuti’ coalition, the leaders of the Shiv Sena and the BJP have a long history of enmity in Thane.
Ganpat Gaikwad Urges BJP to Field Candidate in Kalyan
According to a PTI report, Ganpat Gaikwad demanded that the BJP field its candidate from Kalyan for the Lok Sabha elections in December 2023 after the BJP won the elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. A resolution to not support Shrikant Shinde’s candidature was passed by BJP leaders earlier in June 2023, following the filing of a charge against one of their employees for altercations with Shiv Sena members.
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