Nagpur: It’s been around two-years since the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was assigned to probe into gun firing on then Nagpur Mayor Sandip Joshi which occurred back in December 2019. The agency is still in the dark regarding the identity of the gunmen.
It is pertinent to mention that, Joshi was attacked by unidentified gunmen between the intervening night of December 17 and 18, 2019, while returning home from a party. Joshi, who was driving the car, and his friend Aaditya Thakur, fortunately, escaped unhurt.
The miscreants reportedly fired three bullets at Joshi’s car while he was returning from his marriage anniversary party from a dhaba on the city’s outskirts. Notably, the attempt on Joshi’s life came after he received two threat letters warning him not to go ahead with his anti-encroachment drive initiated that year. Earlier, the case was investigated by Nagpur Crime Branch. Later, in July 2020, the matter was transferred to CID.
Interestingly, during the two-year-long investigation of the case, the CID has changed two Investigation Officers (IOs).
Speaking to Nagpur Today, CID Deputy Superintendent (Dy SP) Surendra Dumade, who took over as IO two-months back, informed that, “I’ve been going through case files and monitoring probe minutely. The accused men have not been identified as yet. However, CID’s probe is on and the culprits will be placed under arrest soon,” he said.
Commenting on the progress of the case, ex-Nagpur Mayor Sandip Joshi said that he didn’t opt for the CID probe but it was Anil Deshmukh, then Home Minister, who assigned the agency with the probe.
“CID had called me twice to record my statements. I’m pleased with the progress the agency has made so far. I’ve always had faith in Nagpur Police. Hence, I never sought a CID probe. It was the then Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh who had assigned CID to investigate the matter. I just want the culprits to get arrested at the earliest,” he said.
– Ravikant Kamble & Shubham Nagdeve