A 31-year-old man, accused of his involvement in multiple criminal cases, was fatally shot and hacked to death by a group of eight assailants in Maharashtra's Pune district, according to police on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday night in the Indapur area and is believed to be the result of a previous enmity, as stated by police officials, news agency PTI reported.
The victim, identified as Avinash Dhanve, was targeted by the assailants who were captured on CCTV footage.
"We have identified eight assailants through the CCTV footage and teams have been mobilised to apprehend them," a senior official from Pune rural police confirmed, as quoted by PTI.
Dhanve, who had a history of criminal involvement, was initially shot at before being brutally hacked to death, the official explained. According to the official cited by PTI, the motive behind the attack appears to stem from a longstanding rivalry between Dhanve and a rival group, prompting ongoing investigations into the matter.
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Pune Crime: Attack Captured on CCTV
The CCTV footage revealed the chilling sequence of events, showing two attackers approaching Dhanve, who was seated with three others at an eatery. As Dhanve appeared to be engrossed in his phone, the attackers swiftly drew their guns and opened fire.
The sudden gunfire startled the others at the table, who quickly vacated their seats. The assailants refrained from pursuing them. Subsequently, around five more individuals armed with sickles and machetes stormed into the eatery, joining the attack on Dhanve.
(Trigger warning: This video contains distressing visuals of violence. Viewer discretion is advised.)
The footage showed Dhanve being hacked to death while other guests of the eatery fled the scene in panic. Following the attack, the assailants swiftly fled the scene, leaving Dhanve's lifeless body on the ground.