Three suspects held in Chandani Chowk firing case

PUNE: The Pune crime branch on Thursday arrested three of the four suspects, who had been on the run after opening fire on Tushar Pisal (30) in front of a petrol pump near Chandani Chowk on Paud Road. Pisal was attacked on Wednesday night.
The victim sustained five bullet injuries and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Two of the arrested suspects are related to Pisal’s wife. The fourth suspect, who is on the run, is her uncle. Those arrested have been identified as Akash Tavare (22) his brother Rajesh Tavare (24) and Sagar Palave (21) all from Ranjegaon in Bhor taluka.
A crime branch unit-IV team, led by inspector Anjum Bagwan, arrested the three men from Sambhaji Garden on Jangali Maharaj Road based on a tip-off received by police constable Sunil Pawar, said assistant commissioner of police (crime) Bhanupratap Barge.
Pisal had married a woman from another caste about a year ago, an officer from the Hinjewadi police had said. Pisal's initial statement said that his wife's family was opposed to the marriage.
Preliminary police investigation indicates that Pisal and his wife had settled in Ranjegaon. A few months ago, one of the woman’s relatives had opened fire at Pisal in Bhor, about 55km from here off the Pune-Satara highway, the police said. He had sustained a bullet injury then too, police said.
The prima facie investigation revealed that the suspects shot at Pisal as they were against his marriage. On Wednesday night, the suspects had fired five rounds while Pisal was on his way back home after attending a marriage function at Bhor. Two bullets hit Pisal in his neck while one each hit him in the shoulder, near the chest and stomach.
After the ceremony, Pisal and his friend started back for home on his motorcycle and three of the suspects followed them on a bike.
As they approached the petrol pump near Chandani Chowk, the trio rode parallel to Pisal. One of them pulled out a firearm and fired five times from close range, the police said. Both Pisal and his friend fell on the road, they added.
A police officer who was at the spot saw Pisal and his friend fall. He quickly took Pisal to the private hospital on Karve Road and informed the police control room.
“A few months ago, one of the relatives of Pisal’s wife had opened fire at him in Bhor taluka,” Barge said.
He added that the suspect Akash Pawar was arrested by the crime branch in October last year with two countrymade firearms. “The suspects runs a men’s saloon in Khed Shivapur area. We have launched a manhunt for the fourth suspect,” Barge said.