BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad firing case: Cops arrest fifth accused, remanded police custody

BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad was arrested last Saturday. Pic/Navneet Barhate

The Thane Crime branch has arrested Ranjit Yadav, who is said to be the driver of BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad. He was produce in the court and has been remanded in police custody till February 14.

The police said the Thane crime branch's Bhiwandi Unit had detained Yadav from Ahmednagar, who was absconding after the firing incident.

According to the police sources Yadav is the fifth accused arrested in the Ulhasnagar firing case. Thane Crime Branch, which is investigating the Ulhasnagar firing incident case that unfolded at Hill Line Police station, had arrested the fourth accused earlier this week. Last Saturday, the police had arrested BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad and two others of the six booked for the crime.

Last Friday, BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad had fired rounds on Mahesh Gaikwad, the city president of Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde faction inside the cabin of senior inspector of Hill Line police station.

Police have formed different teams for the probe, and is investigating the case with technical details. The crime branch teams are tasked with the manhunt for absconding accused, evidence gathering and taking statements from the witnesses.

Meanwhile, police are yet to arrest Vaibhav Gaikwad, son of Ganpat Gaikwad. Vaibhav is the sixth accused in the case, and is still absconding.

Sources said that there are rumors about Vaibhav Gaikwad has left the state and country, and the Thane police may revoke the look out circular. But no confirmation regarding the same was given by Thane police.

Earlier, in the case the police arrested one of the accused- identified as Divyesh alias Vicky Lalit Ganatra (37), a resident of Kalyan. The police said Vicky is one of Ganpat's close aides and that was often spotted with the BJP legislator at various meetings. Photos of Vicky posing with other top leaders of the saffron party were also recovered during the probe.

The Thane crime branch officials until now taken into custody five accused including Ganpat Gaikwad, his driver, his bodyguard Harshal Kene, Sandeep Sarvankar and Vicky. They are in the meanwhile searching for Gaikwad's son Vaibhav and one Nagesh Badekar.