YouTuber shot dead in Ulhasnagar; three suspects arrested within 24 hours

Thane, Oct 15 : A well-known YouTuber, Haresh Gajwani, was brutally murdered in Ulhasnagar after unidentified assailants allegedly shot him at close range and attacked him with a sharp weapon. The Vitthalwadi police and the Thane Crime Branch have arrested three suspects within 24 hours of the incident.

The murder comes close on the heels of the killing of Pradeep Purnekar, a Shiv Sena (UBT) divisional chief, in Thane's Manpada area, raising fresh concerns over violent crime in the region.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when Gajwani was walking along a road near Ulhasnagar railway station. The attackers allegedly approached him and fired two shots at his head from close range, causing him to collapse in a pool of blood. They then attacked him with a koyta, a sharp agricultural cutting weapon.

The shooting near the busy railway station triggered panic, with people running for safety following the sudden attack.

After receiving information about the murder, the Vitthalwadi police formed three teams to investigate the case, while the Thane Crime Branch launched a parallel investigation. Acting on technical inputs gathered during the probe, police detained three suspects identified as Avinash Naidu, Vijay Puransingh and Noor Alam Khan, officials said on Thursday.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Gore, the murder appears to have stemmed from previous enmity. Preliminary investigations suggest that Gajwani had repeatedly complained to the police about alleged illegal gambling dens operating in Ulhasnagar, which may have led to resentment against him.

Police officials also revealed that cross-cases had previously been registered at the Ulhasnagar police station involving Gajwani and the suspects.

The three accused have been arrested, and further interrogation is underway to establish the exact motive behind the murder and determine the circumstances leading to the attack.