Police investigating the brazen daylight murder of a key accused in the 2012 Pune bomb blasts case have revealed that two country-made pistols of different calibres were used to gun him down. The victim, Aslam Shabbir Sheikh alias Bunty Jagirdar (53), was shot dead in Shrirampur town of Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district.
Forensic Ballistics to Unravel Attack Sequence
According to officials, the crucial breakthrough came from the empty cartridges recovered from the crime scene. The evidence clearly pointed towards the use of two separate firearms. The Ahilyanagar district police have now recovered both weapons and are sending them for a detailed forensic ballistic examination.
Sub-divisional police officer Jaydatta Bhawar stated that this expert analysis will help establish the exact sequence of firing and conclusively match the bullets extracted from the victim's body to the seized weapons.
Grisly Details of the Daylight Attack
The incident occurred on Wednesday around 2:50 pm near Santluk Hospital. Sheikh, a resident of Shrirampur, was returning home on a scooter with an associate, Amin Gulab Sheikh, after visiting a relative's grave. Two men on a motorcycle ambushed them, opening fire. While Aslam Sheikh succumbed to his injuries, Amin sustained wounds.
An in-camera post-mortem conducted at the Govt Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar revealed the brutality of the attack. Sheikh sustained five bullet wounds – three to the chest and one each to his hand and leg. Two bullets lodged inside his body were recovered during the autopsy and preserved for forensic scrutiny.
Arrests Made, Further Conspiracy Probed
Police have arrested two men in connection with the murder, who are currently lodged at Shirdi police station. They were produced before a Judicial Magistrate First Class in Shrirampur via video conference on Thursday and remanded in police custody until January 6.
An officer privy to the investigation shared that one of the assailants claimed during questioning to have emptied his entire magazine. Police are verifying this claim by correlating the number of empty shells, the magazine's capacity, and the bullet wounds.
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered based on a complaint by Sheikh's cousin, newly elected councillor Raees Abdulgani Sheikh. The case includes sections 103, 109, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests.
Family Demands Action Against Conspirators
Councillor Raees Sheikh has demanded swift action not just against the shooters but also those who allegedly plotted the murder from behind the scenes. "We requested the police to immediately arrest those who tipped off the assailants about Sheikh's location. We have provided the police names of people who, we believe, acted as watchers for the shooters," Raees told media.
The Sheikh family holds significant influence in local politics. Aslam's mother, Raziya Bi Jagirdar, served as a two-term councillor before her death in 2019. Following her demise, Raees's wife, Tarannum, won the subsequent bypoll. Raees himself was elected councillor in the recently concluded civic polls. In the last assembly elections, Aslam Sheikh had supported the Congress candidate who defeated an Independent rival.
