The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has arrested three persons for allegedly plotting to kill Lahu Mama Shelar, the uncle of newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Bala Bhegade from Mawal, Pune. The police said that the main conspirator, a Congress party activist, had given the contract to kill Shelar to two known associates of gangster Shakeel Babumiyan Sheikh alias Chhota Shakeel.

According to Crime Branch sources, the accused have been identified as Amin Mehboob Sheikh, a Congress activist and former vice president of the Dehu Road Cantonment Board, Mohammed Hussain Sheikh and Ganesh Bhilare. Sources said that Sheikh and Bhilare have a lengthy criminal record in Mumbai, with several serious cases registered against them in Mumbai.

Crime Branch officials said that the Property Cell had received a tip off earlier this month about the plot being hatched and worked further on the information. On Thursday, the Crime Branch learned that the weapons and the vehicle to be used in the crime were going to be delivered to the Amin’s residence in Dehu Road, Pune and with the help of the Pune Police; the Crime Branch arrested the trio on Thursday evening. The police have seized a country made pistol, four live rounds, a motorbike and a photograph of the target from the accused.

“Amin and Shelar are long standing business rivals. Both of them provide manpower to the companies located in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area in Pune, and their political alliances further stoked their enmity. Amin had promised to set up a business for Sheikh and Bhilare in Pune if they killed Shelar and had also paid them Rs 15,000 for expenses,” said a Crime Branch officer.

The officer added that Amin has 32 cases registered against him with the Pune police, including cases like murder, attempt to murder and illegal possession of arms, while Sheikh and Bhilare are known associates of Shakeel and have cases registered against them from 1997 to 2009. The trio have been handed over to the Dehu Road police in Pune for further inquiries.

“We might later seek custody of the two Shakeel associates to know more about the gangster’s current whereabouts and activities,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni.

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