The sessions court yesterday sentenced seven people, including dreaded gangster Balu Waghire, for kidnapping and murdering Kiran Suryawanshi in 2007, who was a member of notorious criminal Rakesh Bharne's gang.
The additional sessions judge N P Dhote also slapped a penalty of Rs 13,500 each on Pimpri resident Waghire (30), and his associates Jaynath Suresh Phadtare (24) of Kasba Peth, Satish Shrirang Jadhav (25) of Uruli Kanchan, Baban Prakash Ranware (29) of Baner, Sanjay Gopal Shinde (36) of Pimpri, Sudheer Kshirsagar (24) of Kasba Peth and Dilip Namdev Bharne (27) of Maangaon. One of the accused Sanjay Baburao Deshmukh (24) of Bibvewadi is absconding after being released on bail.
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According to the prosecution, Waghire, who has more than 12 cases registered against him, was formerly a member of the Bharne gang, but split from the gang going their separateways.
Waghire did not like deceased Suryawanshi helping Bharne during court proceedings, and on September 29, 2007, he along with his other accomplice shot him dead at Mahad-Pandharpur road in Bhor taluka.
On October 1, 2007, a team led by senior police inspector Bhanupratap Barge, the then in-charge of the anti-extortion cell, and R V Phuge nabbed Waghire and his accomplices from Barshi in Solapur district.u00a0