Pune | A shocking murder took place in Pune’s Kondhwa area on Saturday afternoon, where a man named Ganesh Kale was shot dead in broad daylight. The incident occurred in a busy neighborhood, triggering chaos and panic among the public.
According to eyewitnesses, around six rounds of bullets were fired at Kale. Even after he collapsed, the attackers assaulted him with a sharp weapon (koyta) to ensure he was dead, and then fled the scene.
Preliminary police information suggests that the deceased, Ganesh Kale, was the brother of Sameer Kale, an accused in the high-profile Vanraj Andekar murder case of September 2024. This connection has sparked suspicion that the killing may be an act of revenge or part of an ongoing gang rivalry.
Police reached the scene immediately and began investigating. Kondhwa police are currently probing the motive behind the attack.
Is the Attack Connected to the Vanraj Andekar Murder?
On September 1, 2024, former corporator Vanraj Andekar (40) was shot dead near his residence in Pune’s Nana Peth area. The assailants, armed with weapons and firearms, carried out a coordinated bike-borne attack, as seen in CCTV footage.
Investigations back then pointed toward a combination of:
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Internal family property dispute involving Andekar and his sister (married into the Komkar family)
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Ongoing gang rivalry between:
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The Andekar Gang (led by Vanraj’s father, Suryakant ‘Bandu’ Andekar)
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A rival group headed by Somnath Gaikwad
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A 1,700-page chargesheet named 21 accused, including:
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Vanraj’s sister Sanjivani Komkar
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Her husband Jayant Komkar
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Brother-in-law Ganesh Komkar
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Several gang members, including Sameer Kale (alias Sam Kale)
Later, on September 5, 2025, in what police claimed was a revenge attack, 18-year-old Ayush Ganesh Komkar, son of accused Ganesh Komkar, was shot dead in Nana Peth.
In the aftermath, authorities arrested several Andekar gang members, invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), and undertook demolition and seizure of illegal properties linked to the gang.
