Ambernath: In a shocking twist to the firing incident outside the residence-cum-office of prominent Ambernath builder Vishwanath Panvelkar, the prime suspect, Jitendra Pawar, publicly mocked the police by offering a Rs 1 lakh reward to anyone who manages to catch him.
Prime Suspect Mocks Cops
Shortly after two rounds were fired at Panvelkar’s Sitai Sadan office near Hutatma Chowk on Monday afternoon, Pawar took to Facebook, sharing news reports of the incident and challenging law enforcement. "A reward of Rs 1 lakh to whoever nabs me," his post read. According to a Hindustan Times report, in another post, he referred to himself as 'Tiger bhai', boasting about his past criminal exploits and creating a sense of fear in Ambernath city.
The posts have since gone viral, prompting police to ramp up efforts to track him down. “The messages have been confirmed as originating from Jitendra Pawar’s Facebook account. We have deployed four special teams to locate and arrest him,” said an investigating officer. While Pawar has a record of recent assault cases, he had previously managed to evade arrest.
CCTV Footage Captures Exact Moments Of Firing
The brazen firing took place around 2:03 pm on Monday, with CCTV footage capturing two helmetless men on a bike stopping in front of Sitai Sadan, firing two shots at the building’s main gate, and fleeing the scene. Fortunately, Panvelkar and his family were not present during the attack, though office staff were inside. No injuries were reported.
One Arrested In Connection With Firing
On Tuesday, the police made their first arrest in the case. The accused, 21-year-old Khalid Sajid Sayyed, an auto-rickshaw driver from B Cabin Road in Ambernath, was identified as the rider of the motorcycle used during the shooting. He was taken into custody, and the vehicle was confiscated.
DCP Sachin Gore of Ulhasnagar Division stated, “The pillion rider, who fired the shots, is still at large. Sayyed has provided information on his identity, and a manhunt is currently underway. We are working relentlessly to apprehend the shooter and determine the motive behind this attack.”
Sayyed will be produced in court on Wednesday. Meanwhile, authorities are appealing to the public for information and have stepped up security in the area.
