Pune News: Former NCP Corporator Vanraj Andekar Shot Dead in Nana Peth
Pune News: Former NCP Corporator Vanraj Andekar Shot Dead in Nana Peth
Former NCP corporator Vanraj Andekar was killed in a brutal attack in Nana Peth on Sunday night. Between 8 and 9 p.m., Vanraj was assaulted by eight to ten people, including his two brother-in-law, who used billhooks and fired five rounds at him. The incident occurred in a busy area, causing widespread panic.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the attack was driven by a grudge related to a recent anti-encroachment action by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) against the attackers’ shop. The police have recovered CCTV footage showing the assailants arriving on four two-wheelers and launching the attack.
Vanraj, gravely injured, was rushed to KEM Hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Four out of the five bullets fired hit him, and sharp weapon wounds proved fatal. The police are still searching for the assailants, who fled the scene.
Vanraj’s father, Suryakant alias Bandu Andekar, currently out on bail in a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) case, filed a complaint at the Samarth police station late Sunday. Vanraj was a corporator for the NCP in 2017 and had familial ties to local politics through his aunt, former Congress mayor Vatsala Andekar, and uncle Udaykant Andekar, a former PMC member.
Additional CP Patil reported that the attack happened quickly, with the area’s lights going out momentarily during the assault. Senior police officers and crime branch personnel were dispatched to the scene following the incident.
