The Navghar police in Mulund arrested three persons from two different Ganesh mandals after they got into an argument during the immersion procession, where one of the accused also fired a round from his licensed firearm. The incident took place early on Thursday in Mulund (east) near the Eastern Express Highway.
Members from the Veer Sambhaji Nagar Mandal and the Bal Mitra Mandal had come for immersion in their respective vehicles when they got into an argument after their trucks simultaneously entered the entrance.
“They began to argue on who would pass first, which led to a heated altercation. One of the accused, Rajesh Kadam from the Bal Mitra Mandal, fired a round from his licensed .32-caliber pistol in the air. However, there were no injuries in the incident. We have seized the firearm and have begun proceedings to recommend cancellation of his arms licence,” said ACP Vasant Tajne.
Two other members from the same mandal, Pratap Kanaujia and Sachin Desai were also arrested. Kadam has been booked for relevant sections of the Arms Act. The incident
led to a lot of panic at the immersion site after the round was fired as paranoid devotees and police feared the worst. The two others have been booked for disturbing peace under the IPC.