At least 40 people have been injured by an unidentified person who has been allegedly aiming an airgun at passersby in Oshiwara since the past six months

For the past six months, an unidentified person in Oshiwara has been allegedly injuring passersby with an airgun. So far, around 40 people have complained that they were shot at in the lane opposite City Mall, which has residential buildings and numerous production houses.



Representational picture

Bloodied pellets

sunday mid-day as in its possession written police complaints by the residents, who claim to have collected a bag full of airgun pellets and handed them over to the Amboli Police Station. The latest victim, Samar Warsi, was shot on Friday evening. “I stepped out of my office for refreshments around 4.30 pm, when I experienced a stinging sensation in my back. I rushed back to the studio to check what hit me. I saw a bloodied pellet mark,” said the film editor who immediately called the police.

sunday mid-day tracked down a few of the other victims of this random shooting. Three months ago, Vibhuti Lakun, who works in the area, was shot at twice within a span of few days. “I had stepped out for lunch, when I was shot in my shoulder. Two days later, I was shot in my lower back. Till date I am petrified of stepping out into this street,” said Lakun.

Deepashree Bhosle, another victim who had accompanied Lakun when she was shot at the first time, was shot in her back, while Namrah Ansari, her colleague was shot in the chest. An elderly lady in the area was allegedly shot in the eye and had to be rushed to the hospital.

Radhakant Pradhan, a parking attendant, said that his uncle, who works as a watchman in the same area, has been shot around over four times. TV producer BP Singh, who is the chairman of Richa Building, where all the three female victims work, confirmed that his housekeeper Meena Owhal, too, had been shot at twice. “This has become a regular occurrence. I received many complaints from victims. It seems someone is shooting from a higher floor. There is a possibility that accused could be a drug addict or unstable,” said Singh.

In May, Raj Sharma, the society secretary, lodged a police complaint at Amboli police station. “The matter should be sorted before more causalities occur,” he said.

Clearly, the police has done little to assuage the situation as is far from nabbing the cultprit with the airgun.

An investigating officer from Amboli Police Station said that additional force would be deployed in the area.

“Appropriate action will be taken once our investigations are complete.”