Pune: Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amrit Birajdar remanded two suspects to 8-day police custody after they were produced in the court on charges of conspiracy and murder of former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Corporator Vanraj Andekar.
The police revealed the details of the gruesome crime during a court hearing on Monday (September 2). Andekar was brutally murdered in a premeditated attack by a group of accused individuals, who are known to be habitual offenders with multiple criminal cases against them.
The court remanded the main suspects, Jayant Laxman Komkar (52) and his brother Ganesh Laxman Komkar (37), both residents of Bhavani Peth, to police custody until September 9. The prosecution has charged a total of 15 individuals in connection with Andekar’s murder.
Meanwhile, the police today arrested Vanraj’s sister Sanjeevani Jayant Komkar, nephew Prakash Jayant Komkar (both residents of Nana Peth), and Somnath Sayaji Gaikwad (resident of Ambegaon Pathar, Dhanakwadi).
The police are in the process of seizing the murder weapons, including a pistol and a machete, and are actively searching for other suspects involved.
Public Prosecutor Neelima Ithape requested a 14-day police custody to further the investigation, highlighting the need to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy and collect crucial evidence. Considering the gravity of the crime and the ongoing investigation, JMFC Amrit Birajdar granted eight days of police custody for the Komkar brothers.
Defence Lawyer Advocate Pushkar Patil, Advocate Rajesh Patil and Advocate Samarth Hundekar argued that the accused were not present at the crime scene during the murder.
Senior Police Inspector Umesh Gitte from Samarth Police Station emphasized the need to establish the exact sequence of events and the motive behind the crime. He noted that several of the accused, including Ganesh Komkar, have a history of serious criminal offenses across multiple police stations.
Defense attorneys argued that their clients were being wrongly implicated and were not present at the time of the incident. They contended that the accused had no direct involvement in the crime, and their inclusion in the case was unwarranted.
The court directed the investigating officers to keep it updated on the progress of the investigation, stressing the importance of ongoing judicial oversight given the case's complexity.
According to the complaint filed by Andekar’s father, Suryakant alias Banduanna Ranoji Andekar, tensions had escalated between the accused and Andekar following a dispute over municipal actions against encroachments, believed to have been influenced by Andekar.
The Komkar brothers, along with their associates, allegedly conspired to retaliate by summoning accomplices to the crime scene in Nana Peth.
On the night of September 1, as Vanraj Andekar and his cousin Shivam stood conversing outside a shop, assailants arrived on motorcycles, opened fire, and launched a brutal machete attack, resulting in Andekar’s death.
