Abhishek Ghosalkar of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) was shot dead in Mumbai on Thursday evening during a `Facebook Live’ by Mauris Noronha, a local ‘social activist’, who also ended his own life, police said.
A viral video of the incident, which took place at Mauris Noronha’s office in IC Colony in the northern suburb of Borivali (West), showed Abhishek Ghosalkar being shot in the abdomen and shoulder. The attack, which streamed live on Facebook, came days after Maharashtra witnessed CCTV camera footage of a BJP MLA opening fire inside a police station in neighbouring Thane district and raised questions about the law and order situation.
The probe into the murder of Uddhav Thackeray group leader has been handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
The incident took place days after a BJP MLA was caught on camera firing at an Eknath Shinde faction leader inside a police station at Ulhasnagar. Chief minister Shinde said an investigation was being launched into the latest firing incident.
Who was Abhishek Ghosalkar?
- Abhishek Ghosalkar, 40, son of former MLA Vinod Ghosalkar, a loyalist of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
- Abhishek Ghosalkar was a corporator of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. He was also the director of Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank.
- Abhishek Ghosalkar was considered close to Aditya Thackeray. He was known as a corporator who fought for citizens’ issues.
- Abhishek Ghosalkar married Tejasvee Darekar in 2013.
- A senior police official told news agency PTI that Abhishek Ghosalkar was hit by four bullets. Mauris Noronha, who used an illegal pistol for the crime, then shot himself once, he added.
Why was Abhishek Ghosalkar killed?
- Abhishek Ghosalkar and Mauris Noronha had “personal enmity” but the Facebook live was arranged to clarify that they had come together ending their bitterness for the betterment of the IC Colony area, a police official told PTI.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged in a post on X that Shinde had met Noronha at the chief minister’s official residence `Varsha’ four days ago, and had invited him to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Sanjay Raut also demanded that deputy chief minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis should resign.
- Former minister Aaditya Thackeray, who said he had met Abhishek Ghosalkar earlier in the evening, claimed there was no longer any fear of law in Maharashtra.
- DCP (crime branch) Raj Tilak Roushan told news agency ANI prima facie, it seems there was some kind of a rivalry between these two and the killing may have been a fallout of the same.
- “We received information about firing and immediately reached the spot. Both the injured persons (the victim and the assailant) were rushed to a hospital. However, both succumbed to their injuries. A detailed investigation is underway into the incident. (Forensic) Samples are being collected and the matter is being investigated from all angles. An FIR is being registered and the case has been handed over to the Crime Branch,” DCP Datta Nalawade told reporters earlier.
