Nagpur: The Hiranwar gang, responsible for the murder of café owner Avinash Bhusari, had also planned a deadly attack on rival criminals during Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s birth anniversary rally on April 14 in the Pandhrabodi area. Their plan, if executed, could have led to a large-scale tragedy, endangering not only the targeted rivals but also innocent bystanders attending the event.
The Crime Branch, under the supervision of DCP Rahul Makhanikar, arrested the mastermind Bunty alias Shailesh alias Bunty Vinod Hiranwar (31), his brother Ankit alias Babu Dhiraj Hiranwar (22), and their accomplices — Shibu Rajesh Yadav (20), Adarsh alias Gotya Walke (20), and Rohit alias Bhikku Raju Meshram (20) from Kachipura. A minor has also been apprehended in connection with Bhusari’s murder.
According to investigations, Bunty and Babu initially plotted to kill Pravesh Gupta and Bhambhorde, both allegedly involved in the murder of their brother Pawan. In preparation, the gang had purchased three pistols from Sajid, an auto-rickshaw driver from Mahal, and procured 20 bullets from Uttar Pradesh with the help of Rohan Bavne. To finance the operation, Shibu Yadav stole ₹1.2 lakh from his aunt’s house.
The gang practiced firing in Kachipura and Chamadia Basti to sharpen their aim before the planned attack. Every year, Gupta and other youths lead a rally in Pandhrabodi to mark Ambedkar Jayanti, and the gang intended to strike during the rally, taking advantage of the police’s focus on crowd control.
However, Gupta received a tip-off about the assassination plan and went into hiding along with Bhambhorde, thereby evading the attack. Frustrated by their failure, Bunty and Babu roamed Dharampeth on the night of April 14, where they encountered Avinash Bhusari.
Unaware of the looming threat, Bhusari had just closed his café and was eating ice cream when the gang confronted him. Acting on information provided by a café waiter, who alleged that Bhusari’s cousin Avi (currently jailed with the Shekhu gang) had prior knowledge of Pawan’s murder, the gang opened fire. Bunty shot Avinash four times while Babu fired two additional rounds, killing him on the spot.
Post-murder, Bunty and his gang fled through Bhandara, Dongargarh, Durg, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, and Tirupati, finally reaching Ballarshah. As they attempted to board a train at Navegaon station, police intercepted them, prompting Bunty and Babu to jump from the moving train. Despite the risks, police personnel managed to capture the duo, while Shibu, who continued to Dongargarh, was arrested later in a raid along with Adarsh and another associate, Deepu.
DCP Rahul Makhanikar revealed that Bunty harbored deep resentment after suffering a head injury during Pawan’s murder. Convinced that he would be killed by rivals, Bunty decided to eliminate them first.
The timely police action not only solved Bhusari’s murder but also prevented a major bloodbath during a public event, highlighting the Crime Branch’s swift and efficient response.
