Double murder: Shifting 40 Ajni cops for assembly duty affected patrolling

Nagpur: The murder of a father-son duo in Ajni locality on Friday undermined the otherwise good efforts of the city police during the winter session. Four minors were involved in the murder, which was followed by a gang war between two rival groups at Ramteke Nagar Toli in Ajni police station limits.

Sources stated that shifting around 40 cops from the sensitive Ajni police station for the session bandobast seriously affected patrolling. Another 12 cops from the same police station were sent for the bandobast of another cultural event. With more than 50% of cops withdrawn from the station, the ones left behind had to multitask.

The Kurwates had a bloody fight a day earlier with the deceased Vijay Sawarkar and his son Mayur, who attacked a minor who subsequently masterminded the murder within 24 hours of the assault. The injured minor, despite profusely bleeding, sneaked out from the govt medical college and hospital after being rushed there by police. The cops had to bring him back for a medical examination. With the doctors furnishing a report of ‘simple injury', the Ajni police were unable to register the offence under stringent provisions against Vijay and his son, Mayur, who had several offences against them, including murder.

Sources said Ramteke Nagar Toli and adjoining areas required regular patrolling. "Police stations like Nandanvan, Ajni, Pachpaoli, Yashodhara Nagar, MIDC, Wadi, Kamptee, Kalamna, Tehsil, and Hudkeshwar need intensive patrolling and surveillance work," said an experienced senior official.

After Ajni police rounded up a minor and kept one of the injured assailants, Badal Kurwate, under vigil at the hospital, the crime branch nabbed two more minors in the case. One of the dreaded accused, Sandeep Nade is still on the run. Riot control police unit commandos were deployed near the residences of the Sawarkar family and the accused.