An autorickshaw driver was shot dead in Kondhwa area of Pune city by four men on two motorcycles on Saturday afternoon.
Police arrested four accused persons late on Saturday and have seized the weapons used by them for committing the crime, said DCP Rajkumar Shinde. Police also seized a motorcycle used by the accused that was found near the crime scene.
Police identified the deceased as Ganesh Kale (32), a resident of Yewalewadi in Kondhwa Budruk. His brother Sam, alias Sameer Kale, is one of the accused in the murder of former corporator Vanraj Andekar, police said.
According to police, Ganesh was an autorickshaw driver. He was out for work in the afternoon. As he was headed towards Khadi Machine Chowk in Kondhwa, four men on two motorcycles intercepted him near a petrol pump around 3.30 pm.
They allegedly fired four bullets at him from their pistols. They also attacked him multiple times with sharp weapons, leaving him in a pool of blood at the spot. After receiving information, teams of Kondhwa police station and crime branch reached the crime scene to investigate.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajkumar Shinde said the deceased Ganesh Kale had been booked in a criminal case lodged at Kondhwa police station in the past.
“Ganesh’s brother Sameer Kale is an accused in the Vanraj Andekar murder case and is currently lodged in jail. We have dispatched ten teams in search of the persons who murdered Ganesh Kale. Clues are being obtained about the assailants from the CCTV cameras installed at the petrol pump near the crime scene and other locations,” said Shinde.
An offence of murder was lodged in this case at the Kondhwa police station. Senior police inspector Kumar Ghadge said,
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“We have identified the accused. Search is on for them. Probe is underway to confirm the motive behind the murder.”
Police are investigating whether the Andekar gang has any links with Ganesh Kale. Former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator Vanraj Andekar, who was the son of gangster Suryakant, alias Bandu Andekar, was shot dead near his residence in Nana Peth area of Pune city on September 1, 2024.
Police had arrested 21 persons in the Vanraj Andekar murder case, including his sister Sanjivani Komkar, her husband Jayant Komkar, his brother Ganesh Komkar and others including rival Somnath Sayaji Gaikwad and Sam Sameer Kale.
Police suspect Sameer played a role in arranging the firearms used to kill Vanraj.
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To take revenge for Vanraj’s murder, the Andekar gang had allegedly shot dead Ganesh Komkar’s son Ayush (18) in the parking lot of his residential building in Bhavani Peth on September 5, 2025. Ayush’s mother Kalyani Komkar, who is also Vanraj’s sister, lodged the FIR in this case at Samarth police station. Police have so far arrested 16 people, including gang leader Bandu Andekar, nine people from his family, and other gang members in the Ayush Komkar murder case.
Police said an investigation was being done to determine if Ganesh Kale was shot dead because his brother Sameer Kale allegedly played a role in Vanraj Andekar’s murder.
