Mumbai: A 19-year-old man, who is a crucial witness in the murder case of his friend, was assaulted on Thursday by alleged gangsters, one of whom was implicated in the 2022 killing. After the teenager lodged a complaint, one of the suspects has been apprehended, another remains unidentified, and the remaining two are currently evading capture.
According to Shubham Satish Pathak, a resident of Bhandup, who provided his testimony to the police, his close friend Faizal was murdered by one of the accused in December of last year. Pathak personally witnessed the involvement of a certain individual named Sujal Jhadhav in the crime. A case was filed against Jhadhav, resulting in his incarceration. Jhadhav even issued threats to Pathak for testifying against him.
FIR filed against 'gangsters'
During his return home from a function on Thursday, Pathak encountered Jhadhav and three other individuals approaching him. In a sudden move, Jhadhav retrieved a cutter from his pocket and assaulted the teenager.
As locals attempted to intervene and protect Pathak, the assailants also threatened them. Suffering injuries to his ear, neck, and left arm, the victim lost consciousness while the gangsters fled the scene. Subsequently, the teen's friends arrived, and they promptly rushed him to a hospital.
Following his discharge from the hospital, Pathak lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the attackers on Friday. On Saturday, Aniket Gaikwad was apprehended, while Jhadhav, Aryan, and an unidentified assailant are still evading capture. A case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 307 (attempt to murder).
