CM’s aide fired at in police stn; BJP MLA says he did it

Mahesh Gaikwad, a trusted aide of chief minister Eknath Shinde and former corporator from Kalyan East, suffered grievous injuries after he received three bullets inside Hill Line police station in Ulhasnagar on late Friday night.

An hour later, his political rival and Kalyan BJP MLA, Ganpat Gaikwad, claimed responsibility for the firing in an interview to a Marathi news channel. He said he fired at Mahesh after he saw his son being manhandled by police personnel at the station.

“Yes, I fired at Mahesh Gaikwad. I did not intend to kill him but I could not control seeing my own son being beaten up at the police station,” he said.

Senior police officers are, however, yet to confirm Ganpat’s involvement and said investigations are on. BJP workers said on Friday evening, Mahesh and his supporters pushed Ganpat’s son Vaibhav. Later, Ganpat came to Hill Line police station to file a complaint, they said.

According to the police, the firing incident occurred around 10.40 pm when Gaikwad and some local political leaders were in a meeting with senior police inspector Anil Jagtap in his cabin.

Police station sources said suddenly the sound of bullets fired was heard from the cabin, and within seconds, an injured Gaikwad was rushed to a local hospital. He was later taken to Jupiter hospital in Thane. One Rahul Patil, state president of Bullock Cart Association, was also injured, they said.

Hospital sources said Gaikwad had suffered three bullet injuries in his legs and thigh.

“CCTV footage will be checked to get the details,” a police officer said.

Mahesh, who is from Shinde’s Shiv Sena, has been at loggerheads with Ganpat over the past few months.

In August, HT had reported a clash between supporters of the Shinde faction and the BJP and subsequently, Ganpat challenged Mahesh to a duel in Kalyan East. Accordingly, BJP workers led by Ganpat reached the pre-decided location, but the Kolsewadi police intervened and whisked Mahesh away before any violence. BJP leaders had even sought Shinde’s intervention to defuse the personal rivalry between the two Gaikwads.