The Mumbai Police have initiated investigations into an extortion attempt made in the name of Uday Pathak, who was arrested in 2011 for the murder of four of his rival gang members, and is currently in jail. The police said a bullet was fired at a construction site on Friday evening, and a note dropped by the shooter mentioned Pathak’s name and a demand for money.
According to the Kurar police, the incident occurred around 9 p.m. in the Shivaji Nagar area in Kurar, Malad. The police said the shooter walked up to an under-construction site of a Mumbai-based builder with a handkerchief covering the lower half of his face. As he approached the gate of the site, he pulled out a gun from under his shirt, aimed it at the gate, and fired one round, the police said.
“Tarkeshwar Singh, an autorickshaw driver, was sitting near the gate along with his brother, who is the supervisor at the site. The bullet hit Singh above his waist. The shooter then pulled out four pieces of paper out of his trouser pocket, tossed those towards the gate, and walked away, while Singh’s brother raised an alarm,” said Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Dhananjay Kulkarni.
Singh was rushed to the Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali, where he is currently being treated. Meanwhile, a team from the Kurar police station, along with a team from the Unit XII of the Crime Branch, reached the spot. “One of the four notes had the builder’s name on it, along with a demand for Rs. 15 lakh and the names of brothers Uday Pathak and Jitu Pathak at the bottom. Uday is currently in prison, while Jitu is in Madhya Pradesh. The other notes had names of local political leaders and businessmen in the area, with a warning that they are in danger. We are investigating the case,” Mr. Kulkarni said. The Kurar police have registered a case of attempt to murder against unidentified persons under the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.
In 2011, bodies of four men were found in the forest area next to Kurar. Their throats had been slit and the bodies were partially burnt. Investigations had revealed that Pathak had ordered their murder as they had challenged his supremacy in Kurar.
