Mira Bhayandar: MBMC engineers charged for ordering hit on senior officer reinstated

Mira Bhayandar: Two junior engineers, attached to the town planning department of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), have been reinstated by the civic administration nearly 20 months after they were suspended following arrest for allegedly ordering a hit on their senior officer in September 2021. It was further alleged that the junior engineers were denied promotions, prompting them to hire contract killers. 

A narrow escape

On September 29, 2021, two bike-borne assailants had fired two rounds at executive engineer Deepak Khambit’s car near Sanjay Gandhi National Park on the Western Express Highway in Borivali. Khambit, seated in the backseat, had escaped unhurt even as the glass panes of his car were shattered.

Bail granted in March 2022

Six people, including junior engineers Shrikrishna Mohite, 46, and Yaswant Deshmukh, 49, were arrested and booked under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Indian Arms Act by the Kasturba Marg police station. Both Mohite and Deshmukh – in judicial custody since October 2021 – were granted bail in March 2022. Other accused included Raju Vishwakarma, Amit Sinha, Ajay Singh and Pradeep Pathak. 

“In response to applications filed by the junior engineers, we took advice from the legal counsel and reinstated them as per the due process of law. However, both are yet to be assigned their postings,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Maruti Gaikwad. Sources, however, said they will be assigned non-executive postings for now.