Pune, 20th May 2026: Punekars witnessed another shocking incident of gang violence on Wednesday morning after unidentified attackers opened fire on Akshay Bapu Mhaske alias Bala (26) in the Balajinagar.
Akshay, who is the younger brother of Akash Mhaske, a key accused in the murder of former corporator Vanraj Andekar, sustained serious injuries in the attack and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
The incident took place around 10:30 am near the bus stop at Samvidhan Chowk in Balajinagar. According to police, the attackers arrived on a motorcycle and fired three rounds at Akshay Mhaske before assaulting him repeatedly with a sharp weapon. The assailants fled immediately after the attack, creating panic in the area.
Police suspect the attack may have been carried out as an act of revenge linked to the Vanraj Andekar murder case. Investigators believe the long-standing rivalry between the Andekar gang and the Komkar-Mhaske group could be behind the violent assault.
A heavy police deployment has been made in the area while teams have launched a search operation to trace the attackers.
Akshay’s brother, Akash Mhaske, is one of the main accused in the murder case of former corporator Vanraj Andekar. During the investigation, police found that Akash allegedly played a crucial role in procuring pistols and ammunition from Madhya Pradesh for the murder conspiracy. He was later arrested and booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Former corporator Vanraj Andekar was brutally murdered on September 1, 2024, in Pune’s Nana Peth area after being shot at and attacked with sharp weapons. Police investigations had revealed that the murder was the result of both family disputes and criminal rivalry. So far, police have filed a 1,700-page chargesheet against 21 accused in the case.