PUNE: An Assistant Sub-Inspector of India Reserve Battalion (IRB), posted at the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) camp, today went on a killing spree at Daund near Pune, killing three persons.
Sanjay Baliram Shinde, the accused, was later arrested from Supa village near Shirur in the district. He was in-charge of weaponry at the IRB company at the SRPF, police said.
Shinde opened fire at two places -- Nagar Mori and Borawake Nagar --- in Daund town this afternoon, killing three persons, they said.
"The accused had taken the ammunition from the weaponry this morning and it seems it was a pre-meditated plan,"
Additional Superintendent of Police, Sandip Pakhale of Pune Rural Police, said.
Vishwas Nangare-Patil, Inspector-General of Police, Kolhapur Range, said initially police thought he was hiding in his house.
"When a police inspector spoke to Shinde over phone, he, to mislead the cops, said he was going towards Solapur," he said.
"However, his phone location nailed his lie as it showed movement towards Shirur. He was arrested at Supa and a 9 mm pistol and two magazines were seized from his possession," Nangare-Patil said.
The victims have been identified as Amol Jadhav, Gopal Shinde and Prashant Pawar.
A police official said the accused first shot Gopal dead and when Pawar tried to grab him, he shot Pawar too.
"Sanjay Shinde then went ahead and killed Amol Jadhav (at another place)," said the officer.
"Primary investigation indicates that Sanjay Shinde had an argument with Gopal over monetary issue. We suspect that Shinde was annoyed with Gopal as he was pestering him for money," he said.
Nangare-Patil said Shinde was also addicted to gambling.
The officer said Jadhav ran a gambling den, where Shinde used to frequent and the two had fallen out over some issue.
Shinde fired a total of 10 rounds, he said.
Another police official said Shinde had two non-cognisable offences registered against him in the past.
Tension prevailed in Daund after the incident with people gathering outside Shinde's house.
"SRPF companies and additional force from Pune were summoned to control the situation," said a police official.
A senior SRPF official said Shinde belonged to the India Reserve Battalion, Kolhapur, which is part of the SRPF.
"Due to unavailability of space in Kolhapur, some IRB companies are kept at SRPF Group 5 and Group 7 camps in Daund.
Shinde is under the administrative control of Commandant, SRPF 16 Kolhapur," added the officer.