Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
By Dheeraj Fartode
Sensation prevailed at Dharampeth after a businessman from Chandrapur was fired at from a pistol by three city youth on Tuesday afternoon. The businessman, Shahid Siddiqui (28) was shot at from German Mauser pistol by three youth. The spot was behind Sudama Talkies, about 500 metres from residence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The incident triggered panic as Siddiqui was driving the luxury sedan, Audi Q5, and as the bullet hit him he lost control and the vehicle rammed into compound wall of Adv. Sahil Bhangde.
The gun shot wound was heard by citizens who came out of their house and saw the accident. Initially there was much confusion whether it was an accident of someone was hurt in gun shot wound. The bullet according to police pierced through Shahid neck and he is fighting for his life at a private hospital in city, the police said after preliminary inquiry.
Sitabuldi police who almost made a dash for the spot, it being in close proximity to city residence of Chief Minister, has detained three youth who were with Shahid at time of incident. They are identified as Shakti Panpaliya, a resident of Pandhrabodi, Zakir and one unidentified youth. Cops also seized the Mauser from the accused.
The incident police said occurred at 1.30 pm. Shahid and his friends were earlier seated in a restaurant at Coffee House Square along with Adv Mithil Kolte and their clients Om Thakur and Vikram Murare discussing a court matter. Adv Bhangde told ‘The Hitavada’ that he was sitting in office at his home when he jolted in his chair in aftermath of car's crash into the compound. Simultaneously he also heard the gun shot and came out from the office only to inquiry. He said three youths emerged from the car and opened door towards driver side and saw one of the youth was in tears and inquiry 'kya ho gaya mere bhai ko” (What happened with my brother). One of them moved on road and stopped a WagonR car (MH-31/DK-3101). Meanwhile, another youth took out cash that was in the car and stuffed it in pocket. They bundled Shahid in the WagonR car and zoomed to Wockhardt Hospital. Before crashing into wall of the house, the car rammed a moped (MH-40/AB-1048) parked in front of Adv Bhangde house, the lawyer stated further.
Adv Bhangde informed Police Control Room immediately about the incident. Senior police officers including Joint Commissioner of Police (Jt. CP) Anup Kumar Singh, Additional Commissioner of Police (Addl. CP) Deepak Pandey, DCP Zone I Abhinash Kumar and DCP Zone II Ishu Shindhu also visited the spot.
Sources informed that police staff and even senior police officers were unaware about the firing. They only knew about the firing angle after doctor of Wockhardt Hospital informed them about bullet wound in Siddiqui's neck. A doctor informed that the bullet has not damaged Shahid spinal cord but he continues to be critical. Sitabuldi police have registered the case under sections 307 and 34 of Indian Penal Code. Further investigations are on.
Injured Siddiqui is a history-sheeter
Shahid Siddiqui is a known history -sheeter of Ghuggus, a coal mining area of Chandrapur district. According to police, cases of attempt to murder and serious assault are registered against him in Ghuggus police station. After police learnt about criminal past of Shahid they doubted the statement of youth with former that the bullet was fired accidentally.
The verification of the firearm revealed that while one round was fired another got stuck in the .9mm caliber gun. The police also learnt that Shahid was recently booked on a case lodged a Khaparkheda based businessman who started his transport operations from Ghughus.
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