3 killed in Nanded gang war, including one stabbed inside govt hospital

Chhatrapati Sambhajingar: Three members of two rival gangs died after an early morning clash in Nanded city on Saturday. One of them was stabbed to death inside a govt hospital while undergoing treatment, the police said.The clash took place around 1.30am on the D-Mart Road, near the E-Square area, where members of two gangs — led by Arijit Singh Chavan and Sai Singh Deepak Singh Grehwal, alias Sai Lala — attacked each other with swords and knives as soon as Arijit Chavan and his associates stepped out after catching a late-night film screening.The police said Arijit Singh Chavan (25) and Mohammad Arbaaz Mohammad Farooq (23) were killed on the spot, while Syed Avez Syed Khalil (27) sustained serious injuries and was taken to Nanded's Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). He was later stabbed to death by Arijit's brother, Pradip, at the hospital.Superintendent of Police Abinash Kumar said the police have registered two FIRs, and confirmed that the accused from both sides had a criminal background. "All the accused are on the police record. In the recent past, they were externed and even put behind bars under the MPDA Act," he said, adding that multiple teams have been formed to trace other accused involved in the case.In the first FIR, Arijit's mother named five men, including the two deceased men, and some unidentified gang members led by Sai Lala. The police arrested Sonu Raut and Shaker Khan as the accused in Arijit's murder. The second FIR was registered based on a complaint by Avez's father, Syed Khalil, who named five men, including Arijit, and some unidentified suspect members of the gang. The police arrested Sambhaji Patil, NageshLadde, Gajanan Chavan and Pradip Chavan as accused. The police said Pradip carried out the fatal attack inside the hospital, killing Avez.Bhagyanagar inspector Santosh Tambe said preliminary investigation indicated that the violence erupted soon after the groups came face to face. "Preliminary probe has revealed that Arijit, Nagesh and Sambhaji had gone for a movie. After they stepped out, the rival gang members started chasing them on bikes and soon waylaid and attacked them. Arijit and his accomplices also counter-attacked," he said.The police said the attack appeared to be pre-planned, with both groups arriving armed with sharp weapons. Investigators suspected that the incident was the result of an ongoing rivalry and a struggle for dominance between the two gangs.The police said the case took a dramatic turn at GMCH, where Avez was taken for treatment after sustaining injuries in the clash. Police said that at the time, Arijit's brothers and father were present in the hospital to shift his body to the mortuary. On learning that Avez had been admitted, Pradip Chavan allegedly pulled out a sharp-edged weapon and stabbed him multiple times inside the hospital premises, leading to his death.Senior police officers visited the spot soon after the incident. The area was cordoned off, and forensic teams collected evidence. The CCTV footage from nearby areas is being examined. Heavy police deployment has been made in the area, and the police have appealed to people not to believe rumours.