Abhishek Ghosalkar shot dead: Mumbai Police arrests Mauris Noronha's bodyguard

Screengrab of a video that was streamed live on Facebook on Thursday

Mumbai Police on Friday said that it has arrested Mauris Noronha's bodyguard, whose pistol was used in Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) ex-corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar's murder. Abhishek Ghosalkar was shot dead on Thursday evening during a 'Facebook Live' by a local 'social activist' Mauris Noronha.

The Mumbai Crime Branch, which is probing the case, had detained bodyguard Amarendra Mishra for questioning earlier in the day.

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He was booked under section 29 (B) of the Arms Act which deals with the offence of handing over a weapon to someone without ascertaining if the person is legally permitted to possess it, an official said, the PTI reported.

Noronha had shot himself dead after firing several rounds at Ghosalkar.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday paid his last respects to former party corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar, who was shot dead a day ago.
Thackeray, along with his wife and son Aaditya, a former minister, visited the residence of Ghosalkar at Dahisar in north Mumbai.

Abhishek Ghosalkar's father Vinod Ghosalkar is a former MLA and deputy leader of Sena (UBT), while his wife is also a former corporator of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Abhishek Ghosalkar was cremated on Friday in the presence of top Sena (UBT) leaders.

Amid the Opposition fury over the killing of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar in full public glare in Mumbai's Dahisar, the Crime Branch on Friday claimed a rivalry between the victim and his assailant, reported news agency ANI.

Speaking to ANI, DCP (Crime Branch) Raj Tilak Roushan said, "There was an incident of firing in the jurisdiction of MHB police station in which two persons died. Further investigation by the Crime Branch is underway. We are also in the process of registering an FIR in the matter. We will also probe if the assailant had a valid licence for the firearm (used for the crime). The matter is being probed from all angles."

"The officers from the Crime Branch are carrying out the probe. Prima facie, it seems there was some kind of a rivalry between these two and the killing may have been a fallout of the same," the DCP Mumbai Crime Branch added, reported ANI.

Mumbai Police had earlier informed that the Dahisar firing case had been handed over to the Crime Branch, reported ANI.

"We received information about firing and immediately reached the spot. Both the injured persons (the victim and the assailant) were rushed to a hospital. However, both succumbed to their injuries. A detailed investigation is underway into the incident. (Forensic) Samples are being collected and the matter is being investigated from all angles," DCP Datta Nalawade told reporters earlier, as per the ANI.

(with PTI and ANI inputs)