Pune City police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against dreaded criminal Sushant alias Matya Shashikant Kuchekar (28) and his eight aides, including a woman and a minor boy, who were booked in a murder case last year.
In November 2022, 27-year-old Rohan Pawar, a criminal on police record, was hacked to death in Nana Peth area, allegedly by Kuchekar and his aides following an earlier dispute.
Pawar’s father had lodged a first information report (FIR) in this case at the Samarth police station under sections 302, 143, 144, 147, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code.
During investigation, cops arrested Kuchekar along with his seven aides including a 44-year-old woman. The cops also detained a minor boy for his alleged involvement in the murder.
A press release issued on Monday stated that Kuchekar had formed a gang whose members would commit crimes in an organised manner. They were found to be involved in serious offences like murder, robbery, criminal conspiracy and illegal assembly, police added.
A proposal to invoke MCOCA against the accused was submitted by senior police inspector Ramesh Sathe; it was sanctioned by additional commissioner of police Rajendra Dahale. Assistant commissioner of police Satish Govekar is probing the case.
