2012 Pune JM Road blast case accused killed in daylight firing in Ahilyanagar, police launch probe

Jahagirdar was facing trial in the 2012 Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road serial bomb blast case in Pune

• 2012 JM Road blast accused Aslam Shaikh shot dead by unidentified assailants
• Police investigating motive, scanning CCTV, and searching for suspects
• Jahagirdar had a long criminal record and was out on bail

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Aslam Shabbir Shaikh alias Bunti Jahagirdar (52), who was facing trial in the 2012 Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road serial bomb blast case in Pune, was killed in a firing incident in Shrirampur on Wednesday. Jahagirdar, a resident of ward number 2 in the town, was out on bail at the time of the attack, according to a report by The Indian Express.

According to the police, Jahagirdar had gone to attend a ritual at a local crematorium. When he stepped out and was riding away on his two-wheeler, unidentified persons intercepted him and opened fire from two pistols. He sustained bullet injuries and collapsed on the spot, while the assailants escaped on a motorcycle.

He was first taken to the Sakhar Kamgar Hospital in Shrirampur and later shifted to a private hospital. Somnath Gharge, Superintendent of Police, Ahilyanagar, confirmed his death.

“The assailants are unidentified. Prima-facie, it is suspected that two persons opened fire. Attempts are on to confirm the motive behind the murder. It is also being investigated whether more persons are involved in the crime. Different possibilities are being probed,” Gharge said.

An FIR for murder has been registered at the Shrirampur police station. Investigators scanned CCTV footage from several locations in and around the area and obtained blurry visuals of two suspects, along with the registration number of the motorcycle allegedly used in the crime.

Police teams have been dispatched to trace the attackers and determine whether the killing was the result of past enmity or linked to other factors.

The incident triggered tension in Shrirampur, with several local political figures rushing to the hospital after news of the attack spread. Police stepped up security in sensitive areas of the town as a precautionary measure.

Jahagirdar had a long criminal record. Police said he had been booked in 18 cases allegedly related to illegal sand mining, extortion, murder and terror-related activities. He had also faced externment orders issued by the Ahilyanagar police because of his alleged involvement in criminal acts.

In 2006, he was arrested in Nashik under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking Army-related information.

Apart from his criminal background, Jahagirdar was known to have local political connections. His mother, associated with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), had earlier served as a member of the Shrirampur Municipal Council. His cousin, Raees Jahagirdar, was recently elected as a councillor in the same civic body.

Jahagirdar was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in January 2013 for his alleged role in the low-intensity bomb blasts on JM Road in Pune on August 1, 2012, which left one person injured.

The ATS had claimed that the blasts were carried out on the instructions of fugitive Indian Mujahideen operative Riyaz Bhatkal, allegedly to avenge the killing of IM member Qateel Siddiqui by gangster Sharad Mohol inside Pune’s Yerwada jail on June 6, 2012.

According to the ATS, Jahagirdar had allegedly supplied three pistols and ammunition to other accused in the JM Road blast case, purportedly for retaliatory attacks and the assassination of political and religious leaders.

He was charged under Sections 307, 427 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

On October 1, 2015, the Bombay High Court granted him bail, observing that prima facie his link to the alleged conspiracy appeared “far-fetched”.

However, his bail was cancelled in May 2019 after he failed to comply with conditions requiring him to mark attendance at the ATS office every month, following which he surrendered before a special court in Mumbai.

He was released again in January 2023 after the Bombay High Court granted bail, noting that he had spent nearly six years in custody as an undertrial and that continued pre-trial detention was not necessary. “The trial in the J M road bomb blast case is on and prosecution witnesses are being examined,” special public prosecutor Vaibhav Bagade said.