Navi Mumbai Crime Branch Cracks Down on Airoli Shooting Case with Five Arrests
In a significant breakthrough, the Navi Mumbai crime branch unit I has arrested five men, including the alleged shooter and the mastermind, six days after a brazen shooting incident targeted RTI activist Amit Maurya (40) and builder Sandeep Gavas (44) in Airoli. The arrests shed light on a complex web of business disputes and personal vendettas that led to the violent attack.
Mastermind and Shooter Identified in Contract Killing Plot
According to police sources, the shooter, identified as Rahul alias Pawan Sahani (38), was hired by Gurfan Khan (47), a bakery owner and construction businessman based in Airoli. Gurfan and Gavas were partners in a construction business in gaothan areas of Airoli until 2016, when they severed ties due to a monetary dispute. Police allege that Gurfan harbored a grudge against Gavas for filing police complaints about his illegal constructions, which were facilitated through RTI applications with Maurya's assistance.
Gurfan reportedly learned that Sahani had been released after serving 11 years in jail in a MCOCA case registered by Mumbai Police. Seizing this opportunity, he hired Sahani for the contract killing of Gavas, setting the stage for the violent incident.
Details of the Shooting and Arrests
The shooting occurred on April 6 around 11:45 PM in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Rahivasi chawl area of Airoli Sector 1. Maurya and Gavas were standing near their parked car when a helmet-wearing, bike-borne assailant fired four rounds from a pistol. One bullet pierced Maurya's neck, two hit the car's windscreen, and one bullet aimed at Gavas struck a roadside wall as he fled for his life. Sahani later abandoned the bike near Mumbra railway station.
Maurya was initially rushed to a local hospital in Airoli and, due to his critical condition, was transferred to Fortis Hospital in Mulund. He is currently recuperating after being moved from the ICU to a general ward.
Police Investigation and Additional Accused
To track down the shooter, police analyzed around 2,700 mobile numbers from dump data records of mobile tower locations along the escape route. The investigation led to the arrest of Nagesh Mane (45) from Nerul, who revealed the locations of Sayyad Khan (45) and Sahani. Sayyad was arrested for allegedly stealing the bike from Sanpada two days before the incident, while Mane paid for the stolen bike and provided it to Sahani.
Police camped in Malvani, Malad, for two days as Sahani's phone was switched off. When it was briefly activated on Saturday night, they tracked and apprehended him. Sahani then led police to Vishal Mahadik (40) and Gurfan Khan. Mahadik, an Airoli resident, allegedly provided information on Gavas's location and held a grudge against him, suspecting Gavas was behind false criminal cases that led to his externation from Navi Mumbai.
Sayyad Khan has prior robbery and dacoity cases registered against him in Surat for targeting vehicles on the Mumbai-Surat highway, according to police records.
