Crime Branch starts probe into murder of Thackeray group leader
The probe will focus how Noronha got the weapon and who gave it to him and whether he was under the influence of alcohol at the time
The Crime Branch has set up two teams in Mumbai to investigate the dramatic murder of Shiv Sena leader Abhishek Ghosalkar at a Facebook Live show by a social activist who then killed himself.
One team headed by an inspector is probing Ghosalkar’s killing while the second team is probing into the “accidental” death of his killer Mauris Noronha.
Main issues
The Crime Branch will focus on several aspects including how Noronha got the weapon and who gave it to him and whether he was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
The police are also questioning people who were present when Ghosalkar was fired at.
Abhishek (40), son of former MLA Vinod Ghosalkar, a loyalist of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, was also a former corporator.
Four bullets
A viral video of the incident, which took place in IC Colony in Borivali (West) on Thursday, showed Ghosalkar being shot in the abdomen and shoulder.
A police official told PTI that Ghosalkar was hit by four bullets. Noronha, who used an illegal pistol for the crime, then shot himself once.
Ghosalkar and Noronha had “personal enmity” but the Facebook Live was arranged to clarify that they had come together, ending their bitterness for the betterment of the IC Colony area, another official said.
Crime Branch
The case was transferred to the Crime Branch considering the seriousness of the matter, the police
Hundreds of Sena supporters gathered outside Karuna Hospital in north Mumbai where Abhishek Ghosalkar was rushed after he was fired upon.
On Friday, Ghosalkar’s body was shifted to state-run JJ hospital for post-mortem.
(With agency inputs)