Pune NCP leader's murder plotted by sisters over family property dispute, reveal police

Pune : The suspected gangland killing of a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ex-corporator Vanraj S. Andekar late on Sunday has emerged as the outcome of a brutal family dispute, allegedly plotted and executed by his siblings and relatives, police investigations have revealed on Monday.

Andekar, 32, was attacked in a Bollywood style when around 14-15 persons, coming on six motorcycles, attacked him with a chopper and fired five rounds at him when he was chatting with his cousin outside his home in Inamdar Chowk area of Nanapeth in the city.

Joint Police Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma, who is spearheading the probe, told media persons that as per the preliminary investigations, the killing was apparently due to old family disputes and some property wrangles.

"We have arrested his two sisters and two brothers-in-law so far in the case. We are on the lookout for the other accused absconding and the police and Crime Branch teams have fanned out into different areas," he said.

The arrested siblings were identified as Sanjivani Jayant Komkar and Kalyani Ganesh Komkar, who had a raging dispute over family assets for the past several years, an official said.

Andekar’s sisters and their husbands allegedly conspired for his killing with help from gangster Somnath Gaikad with the weapons, a gun and a chopper, supplied for the murder.

Last night, taken virtually by surprise, Andekar was targeted with at least five bullets and a chopper attack at around 9.30 pm, and was rushed to the KEM Hospital where he was declared dead on admission.

Moving swiftly, several police teams fanned out in different parts of the city and outskirts to apprehend at least three culprits this morning who were detained for interrogation, and the sensational developments emerged after their questioning. Sharma said that as per preliminary information, Andekar succumbed to the stab injuries and not the bullets, but details would be clear only after the post-mortem report is ready.

The CCTV footage of the chilling crime scene shows how the assailants arrived on motorcycles, and one of them in a yellow T-shirt, openly brandishing a gleaming chopper, and his associates chased Andekar who had fled inside his home. After the surgical attack, lasting barely a minute as per the CCTV records, the assailants quickly sped off from the spot in different directions, as Pune reeled under the shock of another brazen murder in full public view.

Though Andekar has a clean image, several other family members have police records for various crimes in the city, while some kin have dabbled in civic politics as municipal corporations.