Seized gun goes off, into Sr PI’s eye

December 21: Barely two hours after police gunned down a Chhota Rajan aide at Bhoiwada on Sunday morning, a senior inspector was seriousl...

December 21: Barely two hours after police gunned down a Chhota Rajan aide at Bhoiwada on Sunday morning, a senior inspector was seriously injured when the seized revolver he was inspecting went off accidentally.

Senior inspector Vishwanath Patil was inspecting the countrymade weapon seized from the spot where he and his squad shot gangster Pradeep Roge in an encounter at around 7.30 am. Assistant inspector A Mayekar and sub-inspector C Katkar were with him at Bhoiwada police station at the time of the incident.

Eyewitnesses said when Patil was checking the seized weapon, one round went off accidentally, piercing his left eye. The bullet made an exit from the rear side of the skull.

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Patil was rushed to KEM hospital, where he was operated upon. Doctors attending to him said the bullet has not ruptured the brain and he is out of danger. Patil (55) had taken charge of Bhoiwada police station only in May this year.

Two hours earlier, the Bhoiwada police, acting on a tip-off that two Chhota Rajan gangsterswere going to come near CR Ground at Parel, had laid a trap. At around 5.30 am, two men were spotted at the ground on a motorbike. The police team asked the duo to surrender, but the two fired at police. The police team fired in retaliation, injuring the gangster sitting pillion on the motorbike, who slumped to the ground. The other gangster, however, managed to escape on the bike.

The gangster, identified as Pradeep Roge, was taken to the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, where he was declared dead on admission. Roge was found to be in possession of a countrymade revolver and live cartridges. He had been involved in several offences and was wanted by Bhoiwada police station.