2 murders, 1 attempted revenge killing in 9 months stoke gang war fear

Pune: The alleged retaliatory attack on Wednesday on a relative of one of the accused in former NCP corporator Vanraj Andekar’s murder and previous revenge killings of kin of two suspects in the case have triggered fears of a gang war in the city.Akshay Mhaske, brother of Akash Mhaske — one of the accused arrested in Vanraj’s murder case — was shot at and attacked with sharp weapons at Balajinagar in Dhankawdi on Wednesday morning. Police said he suffered critical injuries and was undergoing treatment in a private hospital in the city.The police suspect the attack was a part of a revenge cycle allegedly linked to the Andekar gang. The attacks carried out so far followed a similar pattern. Assailants first fired at the target and then used sharp weapons to inflict injuries.Several members of the Andekar family, including gang leader Suryakant alias Bandu Andekar, his son Krishna and other relatives such as his grandson, sister-in-law and daughter-in-law, are currently in jail. Wednesday’s attack indicated that the gang continued to operate through associates and hired shooters outside the prison to carry out revenge killings.The first alleged revenge killing was reported in Sept last year. Ayush Komkar, grandson of Bandu (his daughter’s son) and son of Ganesh Komkar, was murdered. Ganesh, the son-in-law of Bandu, is among the 21 accused arrested in Vanraj’s murder case.Ganesh Kale, an autorickshaw driver and brother of Sameer Kale — another accused in the Vanraj murder case — was killed in Yewalewadi in Nov last year. Police investigations in both the cases revealed alleged links between the attackers and members of the Andekar gang. Subsequently, Andekar family members were named in the FIRs.All the accused arrested in Vanraj’s murder case are currently in jail. Their families are being targeted in retaliatory attacks. In Sept last year, the police foiled an alleged plot to attack family members of Somnath Gaikwad, another key accused in the case, in the Ambegaon Pathar area.Vanraj, a former NCP (undivided) corporator, was murdered in Sept 2024 in Nana Peth, allegedly over a property dispute involving his two sisters, married to brothers Jayant and Ganesh Komkar. Both Komkar brothers are currently in jail in connection with the murder of Vanraj.Retired ACP Bhanupratap Barghe said targeting family members of rivals was not new for the Andekar gang. “In the criminal world, especially among gangs in Mumbai, there is an unwritten rule that family members are not targeted. The Andekar gang never followed that principle. The gang attacked relatives of rivals earlier too,” Barghe said.He said the Andekar gang’s network extended beyond Pune district. Thus, he said, it was easier for them to arrange shooters and execute attacks despite several members of the family being in jail.“For the Andekars, maintaining dominance through revenge has always been important. They can go to any extent for it. This was seen in the past as well. Communicating from the jail is not difficult for criminals. There are several ways to pass messages outside,” he said.Barghe differed from the thought that the recent incidents pointed towards an emerging gang war in Pune. He said these were more of a family rivalry than a gang war.“It is not exactly a gang war but a dispute between the Andekar and Komkar families. The Komkar gang is not strong enough to retaliate in the same manner and does not have the kind of network the Andekars have to operate from the prison,” he said.Bhanupratap Barghe said Vanraj was not directly involved in crime. He said Vanraj’s murder angered the family and so relatives of the accused are being targeted.Ganesh Kale and Ayush, killed in the retaliatory attacks, or even critically injured Akshay Mhaske did not have past criminal records. They were allegedly targeted only because they were relatives of the accused arrested in Vanraj’s murder case, said a source in the police.