In a significant crackdown, the Kothrud police in Pune have registered a case against a notorious gang member and a local agent for allegedly securing a firearm licence through fraudulent means. The incident highlights a serious breach in the licensing procedure, raising concerns about how individuals with criminal backgrounds can manipulate the system.
Forged Documents Used to Conceal Criminal Past
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III) Sambhaji Kadam, the Pune city police issued a firearm licence to Ajay Sarode in January of this year. The licence was granted based on a set of fabricated documents submitted during the application process. Sarode is a known associate of the Nilesh Ghaywal gang and has been linked to the criminal outfit since 2011.
DCP Kadam revealed that Sarode and a Kalyaninagar-based agent submitted fake documents at the Yerawada police station. The forged paperwork was intended to hide Sarode's extensive criminal history, which includes prior arrests in two separate attempted murder cases. This deliberate act of deception successfully misled the authorities during the mandatory verification stage.
Police Recover Ammunition, Probe Deepens
Following the registration of the case on Tuesday, the police investigation took a more serious turn. Authorities recovered a significant cache of ammunition from Sarode, consisting of 200 live cartridges and 200 empty shells. Preliminary inquiries suggest that this ammunition was sourced from a supplier based in Khadki, indicating a wider network involved in supplying arms and ammunition.
This development is not an isolated event but part of a larger offensive against the Ghaywal gang. The Kothrud police had earlier arrested five members of the same gang on September 18. They were involved in a violent road rage incident where they fired at an employee of a private firm and later attacked a student with a billhook.
Focus Shifts to Gang Leader and Political Links
The intensified police action has shifted the spotlight onto the gang's leader, Nilesh Ghaywal. Despite being implicated in over a dozen serious criminal cases, Ghaywal managed to evade arrest and flee. His successful escape has sparked serious questions and allegations about possible political backing that enabled him to avoid the law.
The case of the fraudulently obtained firearm licence underscores a critical vulnerability in the system. It exposes how individuals with violent criminal records can exploit procedural gaps, using forged documents and potentially complicit agents to arm themselves legally. The Pune police's investigation is now expected to widen, probing the entire chain from the document forger and the agent to the ammunition supplier.
