A dramatic incident unfolded at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) office after a citizen allegedly placed a revolver to his head and threatened to shoot himself over a pending property tax matter, triggering panic among civic staff.
The man, identified as Mahesh Lonkar, had reportedly made repeated visits to the property tax department regarding reassessment of his property. Officials said Lonkar had demolished his marriage hall and subsequently applied to the property tax department to levy tax on the plot as vacant land. A proposal was prepared and approved by the Additional Commissioner, and the process of generating a revised bill was underway.
On the day of the incident, Lonkar visited the billing section at the municipal headquarters to inquire about the updated bill. While a female employee was explaining the status of his case, he allegedly pulled out a revolver from his waist, placed it to his head and, in a fit of anger, asked whether he should shoot himself on the spot.
The sudden act left employees shocked and frightened. Senior officials were immediately alerted, and those present managed to counsel him and move him away before the situation escalated further.
Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram took serious note of the incident and, speaking to the media, said that upon reviewing Lonkar’s proposal, it was found that negative remarks had been recorded at various official levels. However, officers had informed him that efforts would be made to resolve the matter at the earliest. Despite this assurance, Lonkar resorted to an extreme step inside the civic office.
Calling the act highly inappropriate and dangerous, the Commissioner directed that a criminal case be registered against Lonkar. He also instructed the police administration to initiate action to cancel and seize his arms licence.
Officials further expressed concern that some individuals have recently been entering the municipal building carrying firearms. Describing this as a serious security issue, the Commissioner said strict measures will soon be implemented to prevent the entry of lethal weapons into the municipal premises and ensure the safety of employees and visitors.
