Cops arrest Arun Gawli gang member after 24 years

MUMBAI: After evading the police for 24 years, a gangster from the Arun Gawli gang was arrested by NM Joshi Marg police from Raigad.

According to the police officials, the accused, identified as Uttam Pandurang Pansare, and was arrested from his native district — Raigad — on Thursday, where he had taken up farming for a living.

In 1992, the accused, along with two others had attacked two members of a rival group, where one Gopinath Jadhav died while another man, Mangesh Mahadankar, somehow managed to survive. Following this, a case was registered under relevant sections of murder, attempt to murder under Indian penal Code and Arms act.

An officer from NM Joshi Marg police station said, “The NM Joshi police had then had arrested Sandesh Nikum while the other accused, Pansare and Anil Shinde, managed to escape. However, Pansare has been arrested now, and the other accused (Shinde), sources say, is dead. He had drowned.”

Shinde was in touch with Gawli, while the other two worked under him. So immediately after attacking the members of the gang run by Babya Khopde, the three accused escaped, but Nikum got arrested. Shinde stopped contacting the other two after the incident and fled with the money that Gawli had given him for the attack.

“Shinde took all the money and escaped. He spread the word that he had died due to drowning as he didn’t want to give the other two their share,” added an officer.

Pansare escaped to Surat, changed his identity and started working as a waiter. He grew a moustache and beard to hide his identity. He later shifted to Raigad and got into farming. Later, he went to Mangaon in Raigad district and started living there.

“The accused had become a farmer and was staying with his family,” said an officer. However, one of the informers spotted him and tipped off the police, which led to his arrest.