Crime Branch Takes Over High-Profile Ghaywal Gang Case

The probe into the high-profile firing incident involving fugitive gangster Nilesh Ghaywal has been transferred to the Pune Crime Branch, officials confirmed on Friday.

In a dramatic road rage incident that unfolded on September 17 in Kothrud, Ghaywal's gang members allegedly targeted local resident Prakash Dhumal with gunfire and attacked a student using sharp weapons, according to police reports.

Following complaints from the victims, authorities registered two FIRs and invoked sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Ghaywal and eight gang members. A police official noted that MCOCA was later revoked for Sachin Ghaywal, Nilesh's brother. Five gang members have since been remanded into judicial custody, while Nilesh Ghaywal remains at large, suspected to have fled overseas, which has raised questions about security oversight, particularly regarding his ability to secure a passport despite a criminal history.

(With inputs from agencies.)