Four open fire on builder in Titwala

Mumbai: Thane (rural) police is on the lookout for four men who allegedly made an abortive bid on the life of a builder by firing at him four times Monday night in Titwala. The builder, Santosh Gondhali aka Bhai, is out on parole after having been booked under MCOCA for targeting a building material supplier in 2015. The accused ambushed Gondhali by ramming his car with their Innova vehicle, and then shot at him. Gondhali however escaped with minor bruises.

The Titwala police has registered a FIR as per the complainant’s version and is looking for the accused, identified as Ajay Haskar, Ramesh Shelar, Umesh Mhaskar, and Sunil Dhumal. Gondhali told the police that one of his business rivals was behind the attack.

According to police officials - Gondhali aka Bhai, whose photographs wearing gold rings on all fingers and nearly 2kg gold around the neck are well known - was arrested along with his aides in 2016 by Thane rural police for firing at building material supplier, Sunil Gangaram Dhumal, a resident of Murbad road, Titwala, in 2015. Dhumal escaped death and suffered only minor injuries but a case was registered against Gondhali and his aides under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC.