Pune: An unidentified man fired a round in the air in front of a prominent mall in Wakad on Tuesday evening creating an environment of unease. Pimpri Chinchwad deputy commissioner of police Vishal Gaikwad told TOI, "The man escaped after firing the round in a white hatchback car. The vehicle driver has been detained, though the suspect has not been traced yet.
" Senior inspector NB Kolhatkar of the Wakad police said, "The bullet did not hit anyone. We have identified the suspect and will arrest him soon. A plastic cartridge, normally used in pellet guns, has been recovered from the spot.
We cannot say for sure what kind of firearm was used unless we seize it after the suspect's arrest. The recovered cartridge indicates it might be a gun used to scare or hunt animals and birds. The motive behind the firing will also be ascertained once we nab the suspect.
" Another police officer, who is part of the investigation, told TOI, "The firing could be fallout of a dispute between mathadi (loading/unloading) workers." The police were examining CCTV camera footage of the incident. It showed the man walk away from the car and stop in front of the mall.
He pulled out a firearm and fired a round in the air in the direction of the mall. Later, he was seen running towards the car. The Tuesday's incident of firing was the second in Wakad within a week.
The cousin of a former corporator of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was arrested on charge of firing a round from a licensed pistol on the first floor of a restaurant-cum-bar at Kalewadi around 9.30pm on Sept 12. The said man allegedly has criminal antecedents.
Police said no one was injured, since the bullet hit one of the tables in the eatery. The police also booked the former corporator, since the firearm licence was held by him. It may be noted that between Sept 14 and 16, three firing incidents were reported from Pune rural and city areas wherein three people were injured.
On Sept 14, a nursery owner and property developer fired four rounds at a realtor at his house in Koregaon Mul village of Uruli Kanchan. Three bullets hit the victim, who is undergoing treatment in a hospital. The following day (Sept 15), three rounds were fired—one from a CRPF jawan's private licensed rifle — during a clash between two rival groups of youngsters at Khanapur, 25 km from Pune — off the road to Panshet.
The very next day (Sept 16), a brick kiln owner sustained a bullet injury in his stomach after three men fired at him in front of his office near Shatrunjay temple in the Kondhwa area..
