Nagpur: In a chilling twist of events, notorious gangster Pawan Dheeraj Hiranwar was shot dead in a gang war near Khaparkheda on Thursday. However, fresh revelations suggest that the primary target was his cousin, Shailesh alias Bunty Hiranwar (30). The fatal attack, allegedly orchestrated by the Shekhu gang, has all the elements of a gritty crime thriller.
According to sources, the attack was meticulously planned over a week. The Shekhu gang planted a mole, Siddharth Kowe, within the Hiranwar camp, promising him ₹1 lakh to betray their trust and reveal their whereabouts. Posing as a friend, Kowe befriended the Hiranwars, attended parties with them, and eventually lured them into a trap under the pretext of visiting a temple.
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The plan culminated in a shootout near Babulkheda, within the jurisdiction of Khaparkheda Police Station. Armed assailants cornered the Hiranwars, resulting in Pawan being fatally shot in the head, while Bunty narrowly escaped when the assailant’s firearm misfired.
Within 24 hours of the incident, Khaparkheda Police, under the leadership of SP Rural Harssh A Poddar, arrested four suspects: Siddharth Kowe, Pratham Shakya, Abhiraj Kanojia, and Avi alias Lalit Bhusari. The police are now on the hunt for the gang’s mastermind, Gulnawaz Khan alias Shekhu, and two other accomplices.
The attack was reportedly an act of vengeance. Shekhu, whose brother Saroj was allegedly killed by the Hiranwar gang at Shankar Nagar petrol pump in July 2022, had sworn revenge. After being released from jail in July, Shekhu quickly rebuilt his gang, recruiting Avi Bhusari, who had his own vendetta against Pawan. Bhusari had been brutally beaten by Pawan’s gang and left for dead, fueling his resolve to join Shekhu in the revenge plot.
How the plan played out
On December 30, Kowe convinced the Hiranwars to attend several parties, solidifying their trust. On January 1, he offered to drive them to Hanuman Temple in Jam Sawali in Madhya Pradesh. However, the Hiranwars opted to visit Panchmukhi Hanuman temple at Babulkheda. Unknown to them, Kowe had already leaked their location to the Shekhu gang.
As the car diverted to a secluded area, the assailants ambushed them. Bhusari chased down Pawan and delivered the fatal shot. Bunty escaped with minor injuries, thanks to a firearm malfunction.
The investigation revealed layered motives behind the attack. Pratham Shakya, one of the accused, sought revenge after his father, a local politician, was allegedly harassed by Pawan for extortion. Kowe, motivated by money, played a pivotal role as the mole, while the gang’s shared thirst for vengeance drove the deadly operation.
Authorities are expanding their search across Nagpur and neighbouring states to apprehend Shekhu and his associates. The incident has spotlighted the deep-rooted rivalries and power struggles within Nagpur’s underworld, raising concerns over escalating gang wars in the region.
The murder of Pawan Hiranwar has not only left a trail of violence but has also exposed the dangerous nexus of crime and personal vendetta that continues to plague the city.
