While the sharpshooter is yet to be traced, the police have established his identity as Imran Qureshi, a notorious criminal and former member of the DK Rao gang, once led by a former aide of gangster Chhota Rajan
The primary suspect in the case, Santosh Gawli.
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Sanpada firing case: Main accused Santosh Gawli nabbed from Pune; sharpshooter remains at large
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The Mumbai Crime Branch has detained the primary accused in the December 3 Sanpada firing case. According to the police, the main accused, Santosh Gawli, a former garbage contractor, allegedly orchestrated the plan to kill his successor, Rajaram Thoke, with the help of a sharpshooter. Following an extensive manhunt conducted by the Crime Branch and Navi Mumbai Police officers, Gawli was apprehended in Pune.
While the sharpshooter is yet to be traced, the police have established his identity as Imran Qureshi, a notorious criminal and former member of the DK Rao gang, once led by a former aide of gangster Chhota Rajan. Qureshi, a resident of Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, has been implicated in cases of attempted murder, murder, extortion, gang wars, and rioting across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, and other parts of Maharashtra. The police describe him as having “exceptional shooting skills” and a history of significant criminal activity. In 2019, Qureshi and his accomplice, Amjad Khan, were arrested by Mumbai Police for allegedly shooting and stabbing a man. Extensive searches are underway across the city and state to apprehend him.
As reported earlier by mid-day, Gawli was tracked by special police teams despite his technical acumen, which helped him evade capture. “He knew the tricks to remain untraceable, such as using different SIM cards and relying on WhatsApp calls instead of regular calls. Most of the time, he would place a call but disconnect after one ring — a method of communication to signal for money arrangements. He frequently switched SIM cards and turned off his phone after such missed-call cues, which significantly delayed our tracking efforts,” explained a police officer involved in the investigation.
The officer added, “We knew he was near the Maharashtra border and had identified his tower location but not his precise spot. He kept moving using various modes of transportation. Initially, he was in Karnataka’s Hubli, before travelling to Pune, which we deduced through technical investigations and information from local informants.”
On Saturday, the police teams brought Gawli to Mumbai. The Crime Branch will soon interrogate him and he is expected to be produced in court and handed over to the Sanpada Police for further questioning.
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