Pune: Shiv Sena Leader Booked After Alleged Firing at Susgaon Construction Site
Bavdhan, 2nd July 2026: A highly charged land dispute in Susgaon, located in Pune’s Bavdhan area, escalated into violence in the early hours of Thursday, resulting in police booking local Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) office-bearer Balasaheb Chandere and his associate Sandesh Mane. The confrontation, which involved physical assault and the discharge of a firearm, was caught on local CCTV cameras, raising serious questions about law and order in the Pimpri-Chinchwad police limits.
The Midnight Confrontation
According to the official First Information Report (FIR No. 0277/2026), registered at the Bavdhan Police Station (Pimpri Chinchwad police), the incident took place between 12:30 AM and 1:00 AM on July 2, 2026, at a construction site directly opposite the Om Paradise building on Sus-Nande Road in Susgaon.
The complainant, Nagesh Mohan Rathod, a 21-year-old cab driver from Narhe, stated that he and his friends—Mehboob Habib Sheikh and Rahul Prem Sarkar—had gone to the construction site on the night of July 1. Rahul, who works as a security guard at the site, had asked his friends to accompany him to watch over the property.
While they were sitting at the site after midnight, a white Fortuner SUV pulled up. A man dressed in a white shirt and pants, identified as Balasaheb Chandere, stepped out and approached the site. When Rahul Sarkar questioned his presence, a heated verbal argument broke out.
The situation turned physical when Chandere allegedly abused the group and slapped Rahul. Rahul retaliated by slapping Chandere back. Following the physical exchange, Chandere reached into his waistband and brandished a black revolver.
Fleeing Under Fire
As the confrontation intensified, a second suspect, Sandesh Mane (a resident of Katraj), arrived on a two-wheeler and joined Chandere in threatening and abusing the victims.
Terrified by the sight of the revolver, Mehboob Sheikh and Rahul Sarkar fled toward the nearby Susgaon crematorium, while Nagesh Rathod ran in the opposite direction toward the highway. As they scrambled to escape, a single gunshot echoed behind them.
The three friends managed to regroup and hide inside a stream near the crematorium. From the stream, Mehboob Sheikh dialed the police emergency number (112) to report that a round had been fired.
The victims were later rescued from the area by another friend, Varad Bhosale, who arrived in a Hyundai Verna. After gathering with other acquaintances at Chandni Chowk, the group proceeded directly to the Bavdhan Police Station to file a formal complaint.
Police Investigation and Legal Charges
The Bavdhan Police formally registered the FIR at 9:14 AM on July 2, 2026. The dispute stems from an ongoing ownership battle over the lucrative construction plot between the landowner, identified as Lahu Mali, and the accused, Balasaheb Chandere.
Assistant Police Inspector (API) Balajisingh Kundansingh Thakur has been designated as the lead Investigating Officer under the supervision of Police Inspector (PI) Arvind Sudam Pawa.
The police have booked Chandere and Mane under several stringent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and other special local acts:
Section 125 BNS: Acts endangering the life or personal safety of others.
Section 352 BNS: Intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace.
Section 115(2) BNS: Voluntarily causing hurt.
Section 351(2) BNS: Criminal intimidation.
Section 3(5) BNS: Joint criminal liability and common intention.
Section 30 of the Arms Act, 1959: Contravention of licensing rules.
Sections 37(1)(c) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951: Violation of public order bans.
Further investigation is going on.
