Uddhav Thackeray group leader shot dead during Facebook live; attacker kills self

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar was shot dead during a Facebook live by local social activist Mauris Noronha in Mumbai on Thursday, police said. Noronha also ended his life by shooting self, police said. Ghosalkar, a former corporator, succumbed to bullet injuries at a hospital in north Mumbai, police said.

A viral video of the incident showed Ghosalkar being shot in the abdomen and shoulder as he was live on Facebook with Noronha, a local activist. Sounds of three other shots being fired are also heard in the clip.

Ghosalkar and Noronha had “personal enmity” but the Facebook live was to clarify that they have come together ending their bitterness for the betterment of the IC Colony area in Borivli, an official said.

The incident took place days after a BJP MLA was caught on camera firing at an Eknath Shinde faction leader inside a police station at Ulhasnagar raising questions over Maharashtra's law and order situation.

Abhishek was the son of Vinod Ghosalkar, a senior leader of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

The attack took place in the office of Noronha, known as Mauris Bhai. They had patched up recently and Abhishek was reportedly invited to Noronha's office for an event where the latter allegedly shot Ghosalkar before shooting himself. The entire incident was live streamed on Facebook.

Chief Minister Shinde said a probe is being launched into the latest firing incident.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis' resignation over the incident.

Former minister Aaditya Thackeray, who said he had met Abhishek Ghosalkar earlier in the evening, claimed there was no longer any fear of law in Maharashtra. “There is total collapse of law and order in Maharashtra, as evident from this and similar recent shooting incidents,” he added.

Mumbai Crime Branch to investigate

The MHB Colony police registered a case after the murder, while Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satya Narayan and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Datta Nalawade visited the spot for the probe. Late in the night, the case was transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch for further investigation, a senior police official said. The decision was taken considering the seriousness of the matter and the scope of the probe, he said.

A team from the Crime Branch also visited the crime scene along with the local police, the official said. Later, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Lakhmi Gautam and DCP (Crime) Raj Tilak Roshan also reached the spot in connection with the investigation. The team has started the probe and is trying to gather evidence, he said.

The Crime Branch will try to ascertain from where Noronha procured the pistol and who provided it to him, the official said. Inquiry with the people, who were at the spot during the incident is being conducted, he said. Police are also examining whether Noronha was under the influence of alcohol when pumped bullets into Ghosalkar, the official said, adding that his blood samples have been collected .

Hundreds of Sena (UBT) supporters gathered outside Karuna Hospital in north Mumbai, where Abhishek Ghosalkar was rushed to after he was fired upon, and its vicinity. Accordingly, heavy police deployment has been kept in the area to avoid any untoward incident, the official said.

In the early hours of Friday, Ghosalkar’s body was shifted to a state-run hospital for post-mortem, he said.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Thursday that a probe was being launched into the latest firing incident.

(Imputs from PTI)