Mumbai police have arrested one person after the son of a prominent Shiv Sena UBT leader, Abhishek Ghosalkar, was shot and killed during a Facebook Live. The attacker, Mauris Noronha, then turned the gun on himself. The person arrested, Mehul Parikh, was also reportedly at the site when the shootings took place.
Abhishek Ghosalkar, the son of former Uddhav Thackeray faction councillor Vinod Ghosalkar, had recently reconciled with Mauris Noronha, who was popularly known as Mauris ‘Bhai’, after some disagreement. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, as the two were seen patching up during the Facebook Live event, which was being webcast from Noronha’s office.
A viral video of the incident, which took place at assailant Noronha’s office in IC Colony in the northern suburb of Borivali (West) on Thursday evening, showed Ghosalkar being shot in the abdomen and shoulder.
Two FIRs have been registered in the case, one for murder and the other for suicide. The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police has taken over the investigation into this tragic incident.
During the live, Noronha gets up to greet Mehul Parikh. Shortly after this, the shootings occur. The police are investigating whether Mr Parikh played any role or had prior knowledge of the shooting.
Abhishek Ghosalkar (right) had gone to Mauris Noronha’s office to talk and resolve their differences
Mauris Noronha was a poker player who had gained a positive reputation for assisting thousands of underprivileged individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. He had recently returned to Mumbai from Los Angeles. His intention to contest the upcoming corporator elections took a hit when Abhishek Ghosalkar opposed his candidacy.
The situation further intensified as a case of rape was registered against Noronha, leading to his arrest. Suspecting that Abhishek Ghosalkar was behind the legal troubles he faced, Noronho allegedly came up with a plan and shot Ghosalkar multiple times before taking his own life.
“Now I have received information that bullets have been fired on Abhishek Ghosalkar… How many days should we bear it? Maharashtra is not only getting defamed by this, people are also feeling scared. The most important thing is that the industry will not come to Maharashtra, such a situation has arisen in the state,” said Aaditya Thackeray, former state minister and the son of Uddhav Thackeray.
The murder of Mr Ghosalkar comes days after a BJP MLA was caught on camera firing at a leader of the Eknath Shinde faction, Mahesh Gaikwad.
