Pune Police Commissioner Invokes MCOCA Against Notorious Qureshi Gang Of Yerwada
Yerwada, 5th November 2023: Pune Police Commissioner Retesh Kumaarr has taken decisive action under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) against notorious criminal Salman Qureshi and his five associates involved in a violent robbery. This marks the 78th instance of MCOCA invoked by the Commissioner.
The crime had taken place when the victim and his friends, visiting Pune from Mahad district to purchase a vehicle, were attacked under a bridge at Chimaghat in Yerwada. Qureshi and his gang assaulted and verbally abused the victim, forcefully snatching Rs 90,000 from his pocket by wielding a sharp knife on September 13. A case under IPC sections 394, 395, 397, 120(b), 34 was filed at Yerwada police station.
During the investigation, the police apprehended the prime accused Salman Farooq Qureshi (23) and his accomplices Shivakumar alias Shiva Sanjay Shelar (21), Durgesh Sanjay Satkar (21), Akash alias Dasharath Hanumant Bhandari (23), Anuj Somnath Jogdand (20), all residents of Yerwada and Yogesh alias Narendra Dilip Navaghane (30) of Gokul Nagar, Katraj.
According to police, Salman Qureshi had formed a criminal gang, orchestrating various serious offences to establish dominance in Yerwada. Their criminal activities included causing injuries, possessing weapons, instigating terror, committing thefts, robberies, and embezzling government revenue through the illegal sale of liquor. Despite previous preventive actions taken against the gang, they persistently engaged in criminal activities.
Assistant Police Inspector (API) Mahesh Lamkhede, the investigating officer, proposed invoking Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) in the case registered at Yerwada Police Station. The proposal was submitted to Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region) Ranjan Kumar Sharma, through DCP (Zone 4) Police Shashikant Borate.
After careful scrutiny, the Additional Commissioner of Police approved the MCOCA charges. ACP (Yerwada division) Sanjay Patil is now conducting further investigations.
