Unidentified assailants opened fire at the office of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) municipal election candidate Pawan Walekar in Ambernath, Thane district, late Tuesday night, just days ahead of the local civic polls scheduled for December 20. The incident occurred around midnight in the Navin Bhendi Pada area of Ambernath West, where two men on a motorcycle allegedly fired four to five rounds at Walekar’s public relations office, police said on Wednesday.
CCTV footage of incident on Tuesday. PIC/XSCREENGRAB@atuljmd123
The firing was captured on CCTV cameras, which are currently being used as a crucial element in the investigation to determine who the gunmen were, police said. Hearing the shots, security personnel rushed out, and one security guard was hit and injured, sustaining a bullet wound to his finger. “He was taken to the hospital immediately. He is currently in a stable condition,” a police officer said.
Walekar and his party workers present at the office were unharmed, said the officer. Police said they have registered a case, and special teams have been formed from the Ambernath and Badlapur police stations, along with the Crime Branch, to investigate the matter. “We are examining the footage and technical evidence to identify and apprehend the suspects. Security in the area has been heightened,” a Crime Branch official added.
