Mumbai: Four arrested in just 8 hours in Chunabhatti firing case

The Chunabhatti police nabbed four alleged accused involved in open firing which led to the death of Sumit Yerunkar and injuring four othersAfter a broad daylight shootout near Chunabhatti police station the police were successful in nabbing the accused in 8 hours after a thorough technical investigationldquo9 teams were formed to nab all the alleged accused We could track them in 8 hours after the incident took place Except for 1 accused all of the alleged accused have a criminal record The case is at its primary stage and its premature to say the main motive of the crime All the alleged accused had been nabbed from New Mumbai and one countrymade pistol had been seizedrdquo Said DCP Zone 6 Hemarajsingh RajputAccording to the police Sumit Yerunkar 46 was shot dead in the incident Yerunkar was present at the crime spot Shree Photo Studio as he wanted some photos clicked for his birthdayPhotos from the photo studio where the incident took place PicRajesh GuptaHe was accompanied by Madan Patil Roshan Lokhande and Aakash Khandagle in the shop ldquoWhile the photo shoot was going on some Sunil Patil and other coaccused just walked near a photo studio and started firing on Yerunkar and his associates The photographer and one person were left unharmed in the incidentrdquo said a police officerA passerby girl Trisha Sharma 8 had been injured in the incidentPolice sources stated to midday that all the alleged accused had opened fire however none of them were trained ldquoNone of the alleged accused had been trained to open fire all of them had been shot in a close rangerdquo said a police officerThe police had recovered some empty cases and bullets from the crime spotAlthough the investigation is at its primary stage the police suspect that Yerunkar was killed due to personal rivalry ldquoThe case is at its primary stage of investigation The alleged accused and the victim had recently developed enmity and we suspect that Yerunkar was killed due to enmity in the groupsrdquo said DCP Zone 6 Hemarajsingh RajputAccording to the police Sumit Yerunkar had been acquitted in an MCOCA case recently and he did not venture out of his place of residence ldquoSince it was his birthday he wanted to put on flex in the nearby area and hence had a photoshoot done we suspect that the alleged accused had kept a close tab on Yerunkarrsquos movementrdquo said an officerAccording to the police On February 5 2016 two men wearing a veil entered the office of Arihant Builders and opened fire which left Jitesh grievously injuredThe Chunabhatti police had registered a FIR and the case was handed over to the Anti Extortion CellThe probe revealed that the open firing was done at the behest of Sumit Yerunkar the police had arrested Yerunkar and 8 othersAccording to the police in 2015 two alleged accused had barged into the Arihant builders office and threatened the company to place an order for a supply of materials to Yerunkar if not done the company would have to face dire consequencesHowever the company had refused to place any contract with Yerunkar and hence in a fit of rage his men opened fire in Arihant builders officeAccording to the police all 4 alleged are beneficiaries of the same building which has been reconstructed by the Arihant builders ldquoThe exact motive remains unclear We have identified that all the 4 accused are beneficiaries of the same project which is currently under construction by the said companyrdquo said an officerYerulkar was arrested by the police in various cases such as cheating and murderThe police had identified the alleged accused as Sagar Sawant 36 Sunil alias Sunny Patil 37 Narendra Alias Gajanan Patil 42 and Austosh alias Babu Gavand 24 They are yet to recover the phones and other pistols used by the alleged accusedThe group had been booked by the Chunabhatti police station under sections 302Murder 307 Attempt to murder 120 B Criminal conspiracy and under the relevant sections of the Arms Act and MCOCA The court has granted them police custody up to January 5