Pune: A special court on Monday extended the police custody remand of the three accused arrested in connection with the Sept 1 murder of former NCP corporator Vanraj Andekar till Oct 5. The accused are Sagar Pawar (32) from Narhe, Sahil Dalvi (19) from Dhankawdi, and Prasad Bhelekar (33) from Nana Peth. The court sent 12 other accused in judicial custody remand for 14 days.
They were later sent to Yerawada jail. Earlier, assistant commissioner of police (crime) Ganesh Ingale produced the 15 suspects before the court following the end of their custodial remand. Special public prosecutor Pramod Bombatkar told the court that the custodial remand of Pawar, Dalvi, and Bhelekar was essential for collecting evidence related to conspiracy, planning, and execution of Andekar's murder and for confronting them with the arrested accused Ganesh Komkar and one of the gang leaders, Somnath Gaikwad.
Bombatkar said that the police have recovered seven billhooks and sought time to recover three more sharp weapons from the accused for establishing the identity of the persons responsible for funding the assailants in purchasing firearms and for identifying the place where the recce was conducted prior to the murder. The court upheld the prosecution's plea and extended the police custody of the three accused for five days..
