In a significant crackdown on organised crime, the Nagpur rural police on Monday invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against a six-member gang allegedly led by a former corporator. The gang is accused of a series of serious offences aimed at generating illegal income and establishing dominance in the region.
Gang Members and Stringent Legal Action
The accused have been identified as Harish Gwalbanshi (50), the alleged gang leader and ex-corporator, along with Roshan Yadav (32), Ashutosh Gwalbanshi (26), Aniket Uike (28), Ashish Giri (34), and Rajeshwar alias Kalya Sonare (45). All are residents of Makardhokda.
The action was formally initiated at the Kalmeshwar police station. The move was supervised by Superintendent of Police Harssh A Poddar and Additional SP Anil Mhaske. The crucial sanction to apply MCOCA was granted by Inspector General of Police for Nagpur range, Sandip Patil.
A Trail of Grave Criminal Charges
The gang faces a litany of grave charges that paint a picture of sustained criminal enterprise. The charges include:
- Murder and attempted murder
- Extortion and kidnapping
- Illegal possession of deadly weapons
- Unlawful assembly and criminal intimidation
- Issuing death threats and abuse
Police investigations suggest these offences were systematically perpetrated to generate illicit financial gains, spread terror, and assert dominance in Kalmeshwar and its surrounding areas.
Long Criminal History and Triggering Incident
Police records reveal the accused have a long history of criminal activity, with multiple cases registered against them in both Nagpur rural and city jurisdictions prior to 2017. Gang leader Harish Gwalbanshi alone has 11 serious cases registered against him at police stations in Gittikhadan, Sadar, Sitabardi, and Kalmeshwar.
The latest incident that triggered the MCOCA action occurred during the campaigning for the Kalmeshwar Municipal Council elections last December. The gang allegedly abducted and assaulted BJP worker Arif Latif Sheikh, a resident of Matapura, Kalmeshwar.
According to the complaint, Gwalbanshi and his accomplices kidnapped Sheikh, took him to Friends Colony, and brutally beat him with sticks and stones while threatening his life before letting him go. A case was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code following Sheikh's complaint.
Arrests and Ongoing Probe
Following the investigation, three of the accused—Roshan Yadav, Ashutosh Gwalbanshi, and Aniket Uike—were arrested earlier and are currently in judicial custody. The alleged mastermind, Harish Gwalbanshi, who was evading arrest, was finally apprehended with assistance from the local crime branch unit.
The application of MCOCA, a law with strict provisions for bail and enhanced punishment, marks a serious escalation in the police's efforts to dismantle this organised crime syndicate operating in the Nagpur rural belt.
