Pune: Six Nabbed from Karla in Balajinagar Shooting and Assault Case Linked to Andekar Gang
Pune, 21st May 2026: The officials of the Pune Crime Branch have detained six persons, including a minor, from Karla in connection with the firing and assault on Akshay alias Balu Bapu Mhaske, who was allegedly targeted as part of a revenge attack linked to the murder of former corporator Vanraj Andekar.
The accused have been identified as Aftaf Sharif Syed, a resident of Bhagyodaynagar in Kondhwa; Rushiprasad Mohan Ambat (21) from Nana Peth; Awaiz Ashpak Shaikh (26) from Ganesh Peth; Vedant Srinivas Temgire (19) from Bhawani Peth; and Aman Farooq Baghwale (21) from Bhawani Peth. Police said a minor boy was also taken into custody along with them.
According to police, Akshay Mhaske remains unconscious and is undergoing treatment at Bharati Hospital. He was shot at and then attacked with sharp weapons by assailants near Balajinagar on Wednesday morning. The police suspect that the attack was a revenge attempt by members of the Andekar gang as Akshay’s brother Akash, who is still in jail, was one of the accused arrested in Vanraj Andekar’s murder.
After the attack on Mhaske, multiple teams of the Pune city police launched a search operation to trace the assailants. During the investigation, police identified some of the suspects and detained the father of accused Rushiprasad Ambat for questioning. During interrogation, he allegedly informed police that the group had visited the Ekvira Devi temple in Karla a day earlier and could have gone there again.
Based on the information, a team led by Crime Branch Unit 1 police inspector Ajit Jadhav rushed to Karla and conducted a search operation on the Ekvira Devi hill, where the six accused were detained.
Meanwhile, Karuna Akshay Mhaske (22), wife of the injured victim and a resident of Ambegaon Pathar, lodged a complaint at Sahakarnagar police station. Based on her complaint, police registered a case of attempt to murder against alleged gangster Suryakant alias Bandu Andekar, his son Krishna Andekar, grandsons Tushar and Swaraj Wadekar, Swapnil Bahadurkar and several others.
According to police, Akshay Maske, who works as an autorickshaw driver, was waiting with his rickshaw near Rajshree Shahu Bank Chowk in Balajinagar around 10 am on Wednesday when four men arrived on a motorcycle and allegedly opened fire at him before attacking him with sharp weapons.
He sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Bharati Hospital, where he continues to remain unconscious, police said.
