NAGPUR: Bullets flew in the heart of the city, just hours after midnight in a second revenge killing between two gangs in three months that claimed the life of a 28-year-old cafe owner, Avinash Bhusari, who was shot from point blank range on the street linking Ram Nagar and Laxmi Bhuvan Square early Tuesday.
The Gokulpeth cafe owner, the only son of a family who runs a catering business, was collateral damage in the bloody gang war, even though assailants claimed to have avenged the murder of their cousin, said police.
Eight bullets were fired from two firearms to snuff out Avinash with police recovering six empty cartridges from the spot.
The four key suspects led by gangster Bunty Hiranwar, are externed goons. An FIR was registered against unidentified assailants at Ambazari police station on Tuesday and two suspects, Siddhu Bharadwaj and Aakash Tembre, were arrested.
The crime branch too joined the investigation. After Avinash’s body was riddled with bullets, the gangsters closed in on him, before firing a couple of more shots at his head from point-blank range. One of the gang members, who repeatedly shot Avinash, was heard saying — ‘Bhai ka badla liya maine’ (I avenged my brother’s death), said a source.
Avinash was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors had declared him dead. CCTV footage showed that Avinash was enjoying an ice dish along with his cafe guard, when masked attackers approached him on two bikes. He had just stepped out of his cafe after downing shutters and was waiting for his food parcel, when he was shot. Avinash’s autopsy report stated four bullets were lodged in his skull and one in the chest.
Police commissioner Ravinder Singal, joint CP Nisar Tamboli and other senior officials, including zonal DCP Rahul Madane had rushed to the spot. A forensic team was also summoned. The attack triggered panic among devotees, who were returning from Deekshabhoomi, it’s learnt.
The area, dotted with cafes and lounges, is now in the grip of fear. Avinash had been operating the cafe for the last two years. This was the third murder in the ongoing tussle between gangsters Sheikhu Khan and Hiranwar’s kin and this included two killings this year. Gangster Bunty Hiranwar was keen to avenge murder of his cousin, Pawan, who was shot near Khaparkheda in January by Avinash’s cousin, Avi Bhusari.
This was a fallout of the murder of gangster Sheikhu Khan’s brother, Saroj, in July 2022 at Shankar Nagar petrol pump by the Hiranwar gang. Bullets Fly In Gokulpeth Area, Gangster Avenges Cousin’s Murder Bunty had a miraculous escape in January when his gang, along with Pawan, was cornered by Sheikhu’s gang near Khaparkheda.
While Bunty escaped with injuries, his cousin Pawan fell to bullets. Avinash’s cousin Avi had played a key role in Pawan’s murder.
Though the rivalry revolved around Sheikhu and Hiranwar, Avi was drawn into the revenge killings after he joined Sheikhu to avenge the humiliation meted out by the Hiranwars. It’s learnt Hiranwar’s men extort from vendors in Dharampeth, Kachipura, Ramdaspeth and Ram Nagar.
Most members of the gang are based in Kachipura within Bajajnagar police limits and had been externed from Nagpur during the last year’s election, but continued to operate from the city
Avinash was soft target; Dheeraj was the real mark
The Hiranwar gang, which shot Dharampeth cafe owner, Avinash Bhusari, early Tuesday, had shuffled its target at the last moment.
Initially, they had rival Sheikhu gang’s key operator, Dheeraj Bamburde, on their radar. Dheeraj is the aide of Sheikhu’s sharpshooter, Sewak Masram. Sources said, Bunty’s men had been conducting recces of Pandharabodi, Sitabuldi, and Jaitala Road to track the movements of Dheeraj and others, including Arif, brother of Sheikhu’s aide, Azhar.
Alerted by their rival’s movements, Dheeraj reportedly went underground.
And Avinash, who was uninvolved in the feud, became an easy target. Known to leave his Dharampeth café late at night, he was shot on his way home. “Avinash had no criminal links. He was just a soft target,” said a source. The hit is believed to be part of Bunty’s vow to dismantle Sheikhu’s network after the murder of his cousin, Pawan iranwar, in January.
The Gokulpeth cafe owner, the only son of a family who runs a catering business, was collateral damage in the bloody gang war, even though assailants claimed to have avenged the murder of their cousin, said police.
Eight bullets were fired from two firearms to snuff out Avinash with police recovering six empty cartridges from the spot.
The four key suspects led by gangster Bunty Hiranwar, are externed goons. An FIR was registered against unidentified assailants at Ambazari police station on Tuesday and two suspects, Siddhu Bharadwaj and Aakash Tembre, were arrested.
The crime branch too joined the investigation. After Avinash’s body was riddled with bullets, the gangsters closed in on him, before firing a couple of more shots at his head from point-blank range. One of the gang members, who repeatedly shot Avinash, was heard saying — ‘Bhai ka badla liya maine’ (I avenged my brother’s death), said a source.
Avinash was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors had declared him dead. CCTV footage showed that Avinash was enjoying an ice dish along with his cafe guard, when masked attackers approached him on two bikes. He had just stepped out of his cafe after downing shutters and was waiting for his food parcel, when he was shot. Avinash’s autopsy report stated four bullets were lodged in his skull and one in the chest.
Police commissioner Ravinder Singal, joint CP Nisar Tamboli and other senior officials, including zonal DCP Rahul Madane had rushed to the spot. A forensic team was also summoned. The attack triggered panic among devotees, who were returning from Deekshabhoomi, it’s learnt.
The area, dotted with cafes and lounges, is now in the grip of fear. Avinash had been operating the cafe for the last two years. This was the third murder in the ongoing tussle between gangsters Sheikhu Khan and Hiranwar’s kin and this included two killings this year. Gangster Bunty Hiranwar was keen to avenge murder of his cousin, Pawan, who was shot near Khaparkheda in January by Avinash’s cousin, Avi Bhusari.
This was a fallout of the murder of gangster Sheikhu Khan’s brother, Saroj, in July 2022 at Shankar Nagar petrol pump by the Hiranwar gang. Bullets Fly In Gokulpeth Area, Gangster Avenges Cousin’s Murder Bunty had a miraculous escape in January when his gang, along with Pawan, was cornered by Sheikhu’s gang near Khaparkheda.
While Bunty escaped with injuries, his cousin Pawan fell to bullets. Avinash’s cousin Avi had played a key role in Pawan’s murder.
Though the rivalry revolved around Sheikhu and Hiranwar, Avi was drawn into the revenge killings after he joined Sheikhu to avenge the humiliation meted out by the Hiranwars. It’s learnt Hiranwar’s men extort from vendors in Dharampeth, Kachipura, Ramdaspeth and Ram Nagar.
Most members of the gang are based in Kachipura within Bajajnagar police limits and had been externed from Nagpur during the last year’s election, but continued to operate from the city
Avinash was soft target; Dheeraj was the real mark
The Hiranwar gang, which shot Dharampeth cafe owner, Avinash Bhusari, early Tuesday, had shuffled its target at the last moment.
Initially, they had rival Sheikhu gang’s key operator, Dheeraj Bamburde, on their radar. Dheeraj is the aide of Sheikhu’s sharpshooter, Sewak Masram. Sources said, Bunty’s men had been conducting recces of Pandharabodi, Sitabuldi, and Jaitala Road to track the movements of Dheeraj and others, including Arif, brother of Sheikhu’s aide, Azhar.
Alerted by their rival’s movements, Dheeraj reportedly went underground.
And Avinash, who was uninvolved in the feud, became an easy target. Known to leave his Dharampeth café late at night, he was shot on his way home. “Avinash had no criminal links. He was just a soft target,” said a source. The hit is believed to be part of Bunty’s vow to dismantle Sheikhu’s network after the murder of his cousin, Pawan iranwar, in January.
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