Three people arrested for planning to kill traders' association president, who was protesting against the mushrooming food stalls near Bund Garden

Three people, including a former mayor and his son, were arrested for attempting to kill a person who was protesting against mushrooming illegal food stalls in front of the gate of Bund Garden in the city. The Yerwada police arrested former mayor Nandu Moze (59), his son Shailesh (25) and Surendra Singh Sahotra (28), all residents of Yerwada ufffd for attempting to kill William Laxman Swami (24), the president of Bund Garden Traders' Association.

The ongoing protest against mushrooming food stalls near Bund Garden took a new turn after Moze, also a former president of the Traders' Association, attempted to kill his successor who was opposed to allowing new food stalls near the green lung.

According to the police, Swami and his aides were opposing the illegal stalls in front of the main gate of the garden. On April 5, Swami confronted a few stall owners and instructed them to remove the kiosks as they were illegal.

The next, Swami found the stall sitting pretty on the forbidden place and conducting business as usual, apparently paying little attention to his warnings. When Shailesh Moze, son of the former Mayor who runs a hotel near garden, warned Swami to keep shut on the issue, a verbal dual started between them.

To teach a lesson to the president of the Traders' Association, the accused intercepted Swami's car near Yerawada bazaar at 11.45 pm while he was on his way home. He allegedly attacked Swami with sharp weapons and sticks and fled. He was rushed to a private hospital where he is under going treatment now.

Senior police inspector Dipak Sawant said, "We arrested the trio on Saturday and produced them in court. The trio have been sent to police custody till April 11."