Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar was shot dead in Maharashtra's Mumbai on Thursday evening during a `Facebook Live' by a local `social activist' who also killed self. The probe into the murder of Abhishek Ghosalkar has been handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
A viral video of the incident, which took place at assailant Mauris Noronha's office in IC Colony in the northern suburb of Borivali (West), showed Ghosalkar being shot in the abdomen and shoulder. Ghosalkar and 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 said.
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The attack, which streamed live on Facebook, came days after Maharashtra witnessed CCVT footage of a BJP MLA opening fire inside a police station in neighbouring Thane district and raised questions about the law and order situation.
Who Is Abhishek Ghosalkar | Facts We Know
Abhishek Ghosalkar (40) is the son of former MLA Vinod Ghosalkar.
Abhishek Ghosalkar was a loyalist of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
Abhishek Ghosalkar was also a former corporator.
Abhishek Ghosalkar was the Director of the Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank.
Ghosalkar married Tejasvee Darekar in 2013.
Ghosalkar's father, Vinod Ghosalkar, was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 2009 to 2014.
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Shot On Facebook Live
Videos showed Abhishek Ghosalkar being shot in the abdomen and shoulder as he was live on Facebook with Mauris Noronha, a local activist. Sounds of three more shots could also be heard in the clip.
Ghosalkar was hit by four bullets. Noronha, who used an illegal pistol for the crime, then shot himself once, news agency PTI quoted a senior police official as saying.
Who Is Mauris Noronha
Mauris Noronha, known as 'Mauris Bhai' in Mumbai's Borivali, identified himself as an award-winning social worker, a philanthropist, and a Covid-19 warrior on his social media profiles.
Mauris Noronha's last Instagram post on January 29 showed his picture with the text: "You can't defeat a man who doesn't care about pain, loss, disrespect, heartbreak and rejection."
Mauris Noronha had planned a trip to infant Jesus shrine in Maharashtra's Nashik on February 10 for the people of the neighbourhood. This trip was even mentioned by Abhishek Ghosalkar during the Facebook live on Thursday in which he was shot.
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.
What's Behind Abhishek Ghosalkar's Murder?
Abhishek Ghosalkar had recently reconciled with Mauris Noronha and were hosting the Facebook live to announce the same. The Facebook Live event was being webcast from Noronha's office.
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Mauris Noronha, who had recently returned to Mumbai from Los Angeles, was reportedly wanting to contest the upcoming corporator elections, however, his candidacy was opposed by Abhishek Ghosalkar, an NDTV report said.
Things between Abhishek Ghosalkar and Mauris Noronha got worse when a case of rape was registered against the latter, leading to his arrest. Suspecting that Abhishek Ghosalkar was behind the legal troubles, Noronho allegedly came up with a plan and shot Ghosalkar multiple times before taking his own life, the report added.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said a probe was being launched into the latest firing incident. 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' in Mumbai four days ago, and had invited him to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
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Raut also demanded that deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis should resign.
Former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, who said he had met Abhishek Ghosalkar earlier in the evening, claimed there was no longer any fear of law in the state. “There is total collapse of law and order in Maharashtra, as evident from this and similar recent shooting incidents,” Aaditya Thackeray said.
