Mumbai: Man shoots friend dead in fit of rage

The Kalyan taluka police with the suspects. Pics/Navneet Bharate

The Kalyan taluka police have apprehended two suspects who allegedly shot their friend in a fit of rage. The incident came to light when the duo - Rohan Bhalekar, 22, and Sunil Waghmare - took the victim to hospital. When the police inquired with the duo about the incident, they alleged that a group of 15-20 people had arrived at Mharal village in Titwala and shot Shyam Yerkar, 18, after which they fled the scene.

According to the police, on the night of January 8, Yerkar met his friends Bhalekar, Waghmare and Parvej Shaikh in Mharalv village. The group had gathered to party and got heavily drunk. "Yerkar and the three suspects lived in the same area and were friends. They met for a party but ended up quarrelling over some petty issue. Bhalekar then pulled out a pistol from Shaikh's pocket and fired two rounds in the air before shooting Yerkar in his chest in a fit of rage," said a police officer.

Shyam Yerkar, the deceased

The officer stated that Shaikh took the pistol and fled while Bhalekar and Waghmare called Yerkar's mother and rushed him to Central Hospital, Ulhasnagar. However, the doctors declared him brought dead. According to the police, the three suspects and Yerkar have a criminal background.

"They told us that a group of people shot Yerkar, but considering their previous criminal record, we did not accept that theory and interrogated the duo. We took them to the spot they claimed to be the crime scene and realised that it was some kilometres away from the actual scene of the crime. Hence we thoroughly interrogated them, after which they confessed that Bhalekar had fatally shot Yerkar," said a police officer.

Bhalekar and Waghmare have been booked under Sections 302 (murder), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) - among others - of the Indian Penal Code. Meanwhile, a manhunt has been launched to nab Shaikh.

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No of rounds fired during incident