Police had recently invoked MCOCA sections against Andekar and his 15 aides booked in this case. After invoking the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against gangster Suryakant, alias Bandu Andekar, and his aides, the Pune city police have now taken similar action against his rival gang led by notorious criminal Suraj Ashok Thombre.
Police said Thombre, a resident of Nana Peth, and his close aide Somnath Sayaji Gaikwad were earlier working with Andekar. But they parted ways in 2018 and formed their own gang. Since then, the two groups have clashed with each other multiple times for supremacy.
On February 23, members of the Suraj Thombre group allegedly attacked a youth with sharp weapons in Nana Peth for allegedly passing on Thombre’s information to the Andekar gang. An offence of attempt to murder was lodged in this case at the Samarth police station.
Prior to this, on February 21, members of the Andekar gang had allegedly attempted to murder Omkar Gajanan Kudle (21), believing that he, along with Suraj Thombre, were reducing their supremacy in the area. An offence in this case was lodged against Andekar and his gang members at Khadak police station as per sections 307, 143, 147, 148, 149, 506 (2), 109, 507 of the Indian Penal Code.
Police had recently invoked MCOCA sections against Andekar and his 15 aides booked in this case.
A press release issued on Friday stated that a proposal to invoke MCOCA against Thombre and his seven aides was forwarded by senior police inspector Vishnu Tamhane to additional commissioner of police Sanjay Shinde through deputy commissioner of police (zone 1) Priyanka Narnavare.
The proposal has been accepted as Thombre and his accomplices were found to be involved in several criminal cases. Assistant commissioner of police Satish Govekar is investigating the case further.