Builder shoots self, blames it on rival

An incident of a shootout between two rival developers in Kalyan turned out to be a false alarm. On Monday, around 10 pm, Pappu Pawase, a resident of Tisgaon in Kalyan (East) was rushed to Rukmanibai Hospital that is run by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. Pawase was bleeding profusely from his left thigh, and he told doctors that he was shot at.

Pappu Pawase claimed to have been shot by his competitor Kunal Patil in Kalyan (East). Pic/Abhijit Deshmukh

The on-duty police constable at the hospital duly informed the Kolsewadi police station about the incident. Meanwhile, the doctors at the hospital found out that the bullet had just grazed his thigh and there were no major injuries. However, Pawase blamed Kunal Patil, a rival builder, who is also the deputy sarpanch of Gorivli village, Kalyan (East). Patil is also the nephew of Wandar Patil, the chairman of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), Kalyan.

Pawase gave his statement to the police, describing his ‘assailants' vividly. The description matched with Patil's appearance and since the evidence was enough, officials converted the complaint into an FIR. A case was registered against the assailants for attempt to murder and firearms, and various other sections of the Indian Penal Code, informed Machindra Chavan, senior police inspector of Kolsewadi police station.
u00a0But preliminary inquiries by authorities busted Pawase's story.

There were no independent witnesses to corroborate his claims and the actual spot where he said he was shot did not match with his descriptions. Also the weapon (a country-made pistol) that was found from a nullah raised doubts in the minds of the police, as the location of firing and the target was very close.

"In such a situation, the assailants could have easily targeted Pawase. He should have sustained serious bullet injuries. There was no chance of missing the target. But the bullet had only brushed against his thigh," explained an officer. Patil, who was accused of the crime, said he was at a restaurant at the time of the incident and also produced an independent witness to support his statement.

On being questioned further, the ‘victim' admitted to lying to the police. "He told us that he faked his own shooting," said Chavan. Pawase even confessed that he had deliberately named Patil, as he had an old axe to grind against him over a property row. Police found out that Pawase had shot himself at his partner's office in Kalyan (East), and not at the location that he had earlier claimed. Police have made up their mind to book the injured builder for providing false information, as soon as he is released from the hospital.