IN AN alleged well-planned murder, a gang of seven goons brutally killed Shahroz alias Sonu Ezaz Khan (42), elder brother of MCOCA detenu Sheikhu Khan, with a cement paver block and iron rods at the outlet of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Shankar Nagar Square in full public view, creating sensation in Bajaj Nagar and Sitabuldi areas late Wednesday night.

The assailants also thrashed Prateek Anil Dhanorkar (20), nephew of MP Balu Dhanorkar (Chandrapur), and snatched a gold chain worn by him. While fleeing in an auto-rickshaw, the killers damaged three vehicles, threatened BPCL delivery boys and took away the digital video recorder (DVR) of the CCTV cameras installed at the petrol pump. Police took three persons -- Aakash Masram, Akshay Madavi, both residents of Futala Basti, and Rishabh Wankhede, a resident of Kachipura, Ramdaspeth -- into custody. Cops launched a manhunt for four others, including Satish alias Suraj Hiranwar, for their alleged involvement in the murder case.

Prima facie, the murder may be a fallout of a rivalry between Shahroz, his gangster brother Sheikhu alias Gulnawaz Khan Ejaz Khan and the killers. Sheikhu and his gang members, including Shivprasad Baijankiwar alias Shiva, were allegedly involved in the murder of Hemant Diyewar, Vice-President of Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) at Shankar Nagar Square in 2013. Sheikhu and his accomplices had gunned down the BJYM office-bearer following an old rivalry. Later, Sheikhu and his accomplices were arrested under the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and are presently in jail.

A resident of Utthan Nagar, Gorewada, Shahroz, who was allegedly a property dealer, came to the BPCL outlet at Shankar Nagar Square to refuel his Hyundai car at around 10.45 pm. His rivals, who were in an auto-rickshaw and another vehicle, were allegedly following him. They hit his car from behind and pulled him out of the vehicle. After hurling obscene abuses at him, the goons suddenly started attacking Shahroz with iron rods and smashed his head with a paver block, killing him on the spot. Fearing trouble, some customers at the petrol pump ran away.

The killers spotted Prateek Dhanorkar, who was refuelling his two-wheeler at a dispenser machine, and attacked him. They yanked a gold chain off his neck and damaged his two-wheeler.

The goons then damaged other vehicles and threatened the BPCL staffers of dire consequences if they intervened in their matter. Culprits broke some CCTV cameras, took the DVR into their possession and fled the spot.

Staff from Bajaj Nagar Police Station led by Senior PI Shubhangi Deshmukh rushed to the spot after receiving the information from the police control room officer. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-I) Lohit Matani and other senior officers from Crime Branch visited the spot to supervise investigations.

Shahroz was taken to Wockhardt Super Speciality Hospital where the doctors declared him ‘brought dead.’ After conducting the inquest and spot panchnama, Shahroz’s body was sent to Government Medical College & Hospital for post-mortem.

Bajaj Nagar Police registered a case under Sections 320, 395, 143, 147, 148, 149 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code against the culprits after recording the statement of Prateek Dhanorkar. Senior PI Shubhangi Deshmukh, In-Charge of

Bajaj Nagar Police Station, told ‘The Hitavada’ that preliminary investigations revealed that there were seven persons involved in the crime. All of them were in an inebriated condition and picked up an argument with Shahroz after their auto-rickshaw hit his car at the petrol pump, she added.

“We have arrested three of the accused and will produce them before the court on Friday. Search for other four accused is on,” PI Deshmukh said.