Pune: Three members of the Gajanan Marne gang, accused of assaulting a young engineer in Pune’s Kothrud area, have been remanded to judicial custody after their police custody period ended. The Pune Police conducted an identification parade in the presence of the complainant and have also seized two Fortuner SUVs and two motorcycles related to the case.
The brutal attack took place on the night of February 19 in Bhelkenagar, Kothrud, where multiple members of the gang assaulted the victim. The police have booked notorious gangster Gajanan Pandharinath Marne (58) and his associates Rupesh Krishnarao Marne, Omtirth Ram Dharma Jigyasu (35), Kiran Kondiba Padwal (31), Amol Vinayak Tapkir (35) (all from Shastrinagar, Kothrud) and
Babya alias Shrikant Sambhaji Pawar (Vadgaon Rasai, Shirur) under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA). Two accused, Rupesh Marne and Babya Pawar, remain absconding, and police efforts are underway to locate them.
With the police custody of three accused ending, the Pune Police sought an extension, arguing that further interrogation was required. Public Prosecutor Vilas Pathare urged the court to extend police custody for seven more days, while Advocate Vijaysinh Thombre, representing the accused, opposed the request.
After hearing both sides, Special Judge V. R. Kachare ordered that Jigyasu, Padwal, and Tapkir be remanded to judicial custody. Meanwhile, Gajanan Marne had already been placed in judicial custody earlier.