Gang war in Lonavala?

Police fear the worst after municipal council president, who has criminal antecedents, was murdered by rivals yesterday

Police fear the worst after municipal council president, who has criminal antecedents, was murdered by rivals yesterday

Police sources expressed fears of a gang war breaking out in the hill town of Lonavla following the daylight

Closed! A bandh was observed in Lonavala following the murder of Raju Bhupendra Choudhary, president of the Lonavala Municipal Council, yesterday. Pics/Atul Marwadi

murder of Raju Bhupendra Choudhary (50), the municipal council president and member of the Congress party yesterday.

It is alleged that Nationalist Congress Party worker Sumit Prakash Gawli (35) along with an unknown accomplice entered Choudhary's residence at 2.45 pm yesterday and stabbed him. The assailants also injured Choudhary's bodyguard Umesh Mudaliar (35), who is also a member of the education committee of the Lonavla Municipal Council (LMC).

A case of murder has been registered against the accused at the Lonavla police station under Section 302.

There are seven serious crimes registered against Choudhary and his brother Ashok Chowdhry. According to senior Inspector Sudam Darekar of the Lonavala police station. "Both the brothers have criminal backgrounds and are connected with the dreaded Gawli gang," Darekar said.

Rahul, son of slain Shiv Sena leader Umakant Shetty, had shot at Ashok's wife two years ago, and there were rumours that Rahul was planning to kill Ashok. "Prakash Gawli, the alleged assailant's father used to be a Shetty henchman," Darekar said.