Mumbai Crime Branch sleuths arrested a former sharpshooter of Ravi Pujari's gang and his arms supplier, with four firearms and live cartridges late on Tuesday. The sharpshooter was earlier involved in firing at the office of film producer Mahesh Bhatt in 2006 and was also an accused in Shiv Sena Corporator Devidas Chougule's murder in the same year.

The arrested sharpshooter has been identified as Sadiq Ibrahim Bangali, 40, while his associate is Dhaval Devarmani, 37.

According to senior police inspector Mahesh Desai of Bandra Crime Branch Unit, they had received specific information on a transaction that was to be held between the two on Tuesday night. Bangali and Devarmani were apprehended in Santacruz, while the former was buying a cache of arms from Devarmani. The police had seized four pistols and 29 live cartridges from them.

"After Chougule's murder, Pujari and Bangali had a dispute over financial transactions, after which Bangali decided to quit the gang. Bangali was also involved in a double murder case in Lonavala in 2015. He was almost on the verge of building his own gang and was looking for recruits for the same. He had also acquired weapons for his gang through Devarmani," said a crime branch officer.

He added, Devarmani used to source weapons from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and used to supply them to local gangs in Mumbai.

CAUGHT RED-HANDED

Sadiq Ibrahim Bangali and Devarmani were apprehended in Santacruz by the Bandra Crime Branch unit, while the former was buying a cache of arms from Dhaval Devarmani