MCOCA invoked against seven arrested over firing at Congress corporator Shubham Motghare's house in Nagpur

Nagpur Police have invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against seven accused arrested in the firing at the house of Congress corporator Shubham Motghare. Crime Branch Unit-5's investigation is alleged to have found the involvement of an organised criminal gang.

All seven accused are currently in Nagpur Central Jail. Police allege that absconding accused Vishal alias Fallee Gupta gave a contract to attack the corporator's house. All these allegations are subject to investigation and court proceedings.

The incident took place at around 12.42 am on August 26, 2026, in the Shravan Nagar area, under Bhandewadi police station limits. According to details of the case, Motghare was in the hall on the upper floor of the house at the time. A gunshot was then heard near the gallery. The bullet reportedly pierced the glass in the gallery, causing panic in the area.

Police went through CCTV footage from the vicinity. The footage allegedly shows two youths on a moped heading towards Swaminarayan Temple Road. With the help of the footage and other technical evidence, investigators identified those allegedly involved in the shooting and tried to understand the circumstances of the attack.

According to the investigation, absconding accused Vishal alias Fallee Gupta, a resident of Shravan Nagar, allegedly engaged Ankush and Rushabh to fire at Motghare's house. The names of Ashok alias Baba Yadav, Saheli Pandharam alias Sonu and Aniket alias Annu Bihare have also reportedly come up in connection with the alleged conspiracy. Police are examining the alleged roles of the accused, their conversations with one another and the circumstances in which the attack was planned. According to available information, Vishal alias Fallee Gupta is still absconding.

After approval from senior officers, police have added Sections 3(1)(ii), 3(2) and 3(4) of MCOCA against the seven arrested accused. These provisions relate to organised crime and liability connected with it. The case has become considerably more serious as a result, but being accused is not the same as being proved guilty. The allegations will be tested in court.

The seven arrested accused are: Ankush Zanak Tomaskar (30), Rushabh alias Rishi Vishal Nagdeve (24), Amit Madhukar Thakre (22), Kartik Babloo Tomaskar (26), Rushabh Bhagwati Pethel (30), Ketan Durgaprasad Mate (24) and Romit alias Phullya Muneshwar Wahane (21). All seven are reported to be in Nagpur Central Jail, and further legal proceedings will follow under the provisions invoked.

During the investigation, police allegedly recovered a country-made pistol and live cartridges, together valued at around Rs 60,000. Investigators are examining the weapon, the alleged roles of the accused and other evidence linked to the firing.

After the August 26 incident, Bhandewadi police initially investigated the case. The probe was reportedly handed over to Crime Branch Unit-5 on September 4, 2026. The Crime Branch examined technical evidence and the alleged roles of the accused. With the MCOCA sections added, the legal scope of the case has widened.

The challenge before investigators now is to catch the absconding accused and to prove the alleged conspiracy with solid evidence. Further action is likely to depend on the search for Vishal alias Fallee Gupta and the probe into the alleged conspiracy. The accused have every right to due legal process, and guilt can be established only in court.