A former corporator of the Pune Municipal Corporation and a leader of the NCP Ajit Pawar faction was killed after he was attacked with sharp weapons and shot at by eight to ten bike borne attackers, reportedly including his brother in laws in the Nana Path area of Pune on Sunday night. Three people have been held in connection with the attack. Two suspects were nabbed by the local police and another by the crime branch, said Additional Commissioner of Police, Pravin Patil.The attack happened at around 9pm in the busy area and was caught on CCTV camera. The visuals show the former corporator, identified as Vanraj Andekar, standing on the roadside when a group attackers arrive on six two wheelers brandishing firearms. One of them fire at him at close range following which he is pushed to the ground while the group of men keeps attacking him. One of the attackers is also seen brandishing a sickle. “Five rounds were fired at Vanraj Andekar. He was also attacked with long-blade sickles. He was brought dead to KEM Hospital. As per the primary information, Andekar suffered multiple sharp weapon injuries. Further details will be given in due course,” said Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma. Additional Commissioner of Police, Pravin Patil said that the cause of death is injuries inflicted on the deceased’s head and neck using sharp weapons. “An empty cartridge was found in the deceased’s clothing,” he added. The attackers also reportedly managed to tamper with the power supply of the area, turning off the street lights before the attack. According to police, the motive of the attack is believed to be personal as his brother in laws had a fallout with the former corporator after the Pune Municipal Corporation carried out an anti-encroachment drive on their properties two days ago. The family of the deceased has named nine individuals and five others in the FIR, Patil said adding that further investigation into the matter is underway. Vanraj was elected to the Pune Municipal Corporation for the first time in 2017 on an NCP ticket. He is reportedly the nephew of former Congress mayor of Pune, Vatsala Andekar.
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