Maharashtra: Two held with firearms in Thane, 18 live cartridges seized

Two men have been arrested in Thane district of Maharashtra with several firearms and ammunition, the Thane Police said on Tuesday, reported the PTI.

According to the PTI, deputy commissioner of police (crime) Shivraj Patil said that the vigilance has been stepped up in the city in view of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Explaining about the seizure of weapons, the DCP said, “On April 18, Shambu Suresh Mahato (35), a resident of Bihar, was intercepted in Saket Road area and four pistols, two country-made revolvers, a magazine and 18 live cartridges were seized from his possession,” as per the PTI.

Shambu Mahato had been sentenced to imprisonment in a murder case in Rabale area in 2011 and got into arms trafficking after serving the sentence, the official said, the news agency reported on Tuesday.

On Monday, police arrested Shebahadur Navbahadur Kharki, a resident of Chandigarh, in Wagle Estate area in Thane district and seized two country-made pistols and four live cartridges from his possession.

Both were booked under relevant provisions of the Arms Act and IPC.

The Thane Police were probing the purpose for which the firearms were meant, the DCP said.

Mumbai Crime Branch recovers weapons used in Salman Khan firing case from Tapi river

Meanwhile, in an another incident, the Mumbai Crime Branch that has been probing the Salman Khan firing case, on Tuesday, recovered two pistols, magazines and bullets from the Tapi river in Surat, Gujarat during a search operation to recover weapons that were allegedly used in the firing outside Salman Khan`s residence, an official said on Tuesday.

The Mumbai Crime Branch has recovered two pistols, three magazines and 13 bullets during the search that began on Monday, the official said.

A team of 12 officials, including encounter specialist and senior police inspector Daya Nayak had been investigating the entire case. The search was being conducted with the help of scuba divers, he said.

The two arrested accused, Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21), allegedly fired outside Salman Khan`s house at the Galaxy Apartment in the Bandra area of Mumbai on April 14 and then fled the spot on a motorbike.

Based on the technical surveillance, they were apprehended on April 16 from the premises of a temple at Mata No Madh near Bhuj town in Gujarat by joint teams of the Mumbai and Kutch police.

They were subsequently handed over to the Mumbai police for further investigation.

(with PTI inputs)