Pune: Businessman fires in air during tiff at eatery, booked

PUNE: The Mundhwa police on Wednesday booked a 43-year-old businessman on the charge of firing a round in the air from his licensed revolver following a quarrel with two men at an eatery on ABC Farms road around 9.05am on September 11.
DCP (Zone V) Namrata Patil told TOI, "We have recovered the revolver, five rounds and one empty cartridge from the businessman. We will soon initiate a proposal to cancel his firearm licence over its misuse in a public place."
The businessman, who owns a hotel and a fuel station, and his two nephews had visited the eatery for breakfast when a quarrel broke out between him and the two men. He then pulled out the revolver and fired a round in the air before leaving the spot, the police said.
"Based on the CCTV footage and an eyewitness's account, we established the businessman's identity and lodged an FIR against him under relevant sections of IPC and Arms Act," DCP Patil said.
Senior inspector Bramhanand Naikwadi said, "The businessman, who is the son of a retired ACP, turned up at the police station after we issued a notice asking him to join the investigation. We have recorded the businessman's statement and allowed him to go because he was booked under bailable offences."
When contacted, the businessman's father told TOI, "My son got a firearm licence in 2006 for self-protection following threats to his life and an attempt to attack him."
He said, "The quarrel took place as the two men were teasing a girl and they were pushed out of the facility by a bouncer. When my son stepped out, the two men, who were drunk, abused and threatened him. They asked my son to tender an apology, but he refused. As the duo charged at him, he fired a round in the air to deter them."
He said, "We filed a complaint relating to the incident on the Pune police control room's WhatsApp number on Monday. But the police did not register our complaint."
Naikwadi said there was no merit in his complaint.