Police investigating the murder of a key accused in the 2012 Pune JM Road bomb blasts case have confirmed that two country-made pistols of different calibres were used to gun him down in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district. The victim, identified as Aslam Shabbir Sheikh alias Bunty Jagirdar (53), was shot dead on Wednesday afternoon.
Weapons Recovered for Ballistic Examination
Officials stated that empty cartridges found at the crime scene in Shrirampur town pointed towards the use of two separate firearms. The Ahilyanagar district police have since recovered both weapons. The process of sending them to forensic ballistic experts for a detailed analysis has been initiated.
Sub-divisional police officer Jaydatta Bhawar explained that the ballistic examination will be crucial. It aims to establish the exact sequence of firing and match the recovered bullets to the seized weapons.
Grisly Details of the Attack Emerge
Sheikh, a resident of Shrirampur, was attacked by two men on a motorcycle while he was returning home from visiting a relative's grave. An FIR based on a complaint by his cousin, newly elected councillor Raees Abdulgani Sheikh, states the shooting occurred around 2.50 pm near Santluk Hospital.
Sheikh was riding a scooter with an associate, Amin Gulab Sheikh, when the assailants opened fire. While Aslam Sheikh died from his injuries, Amin sustained wounds but survived.
A post-mortem conducted at the Govt Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar revealed five bullet wounds on Sheikh's body—three on the chest, and one each on the hand and leg. Two bullets were recovered from his body during the autopsy and preserved for forensic evidence.
Investigation Points to Premeditated Murder
An officer involved in the probe confirmed that both attackers were armed. During questioning, one of the arrested individuals claimed he had emptied his entire magazine during the assault. Police are verifying this statement by cross-checking the number of empty shells, the magazine's capacity, and the bullet wounds on the victim.
The two arrested assailants, currently lodged at Shirdi police station, were produced before a Judicial Magistrate First Class in Shrirampur via video conference on Thursday. They have been remanded in police custody until January 6. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests in the case.
A case has been registered under sections 103, 109, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant sections of the Arms Act.
Family Demands Action Against Conspirators
Cousin Raees Sheikh, who was recently elected as a councillor, has demanded swift action against those who allegedly orchestrated the attack 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 has deep roots in local politics. Aslam's mother, Raziya Bi Jagirdar, served two terms as a councillor before her death in 2019. Following her demise, Raees's wife, Tarannum, won the subsequent bypoll. Raees himself was elected in the recent civic polls. In the last assembly elections, Aslam Sheikh had supported the Congress candidate who defeated an Independent rival.
