In a major crackdown on organised crime, the city police and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Monday demolished illegal shops linked to a notorious MCOCA accused and his associates at Shanichara Market in Kamal Chowk. The action came just four days after a gang war and firing incident in Pachpaoli. The demolition drive began around 4.30 pm amid heavy police deployment. Shops encroaching on municipal land and linked to Ajay Chinchkhede, who has been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), were razed. Structures belonging to his associates Rahul Shinde, Durgesh Gupta, Ashwin Indurkar and Krish Thakur also were removed. The action follows the July 16 midnight firing at Shanichara Market, where rival gangs led by Ajay Chinchkhede and Jagdish Gokhale allegedly clashed.

 

So far, 10 accused from both gangs have been arrested. Police said the accused had been operating from illegally constructed shops while creating an atmosphere of fear in the locality. Following directions from Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangare Patil and the Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Itankar, the police and civic body jointly carried out the demolition drive. Deputy Commissioner of Police Mangesh Khawale, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kamble and Pachpaoli Senior Police Inspector Aniruddha Puri supervised the operation. Senior PI Aniruddha Puri said the action was part of the ongoing campaign against organised crime and illegal encroachments, and was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangare Patil. Local residents also highlighted another long-pending issue. They complained that poor street lighting in and around Shanichara Market has made the area vulnerable to anti-social activities, especially after dark. Police officials said the matter would be taken up with the civic authorities.