Mumbai: Where is Nilesh Ghaiwal and how connected is he to Maharashtra’s political class? The question has set off a slugfest in the state, with leaders of both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) publicly trading charges.
A road rage incident in Pune’s Kothrud area on 18 September brought the heat on Ghaiwal and members of his gang. Six men believed to be part of the gang got into an altercation with two locals over the right of way and opened fire at one Prakash Dhumal, 36, injuring him, and another aged 19. While all fled the scene, five of the accused were later arrested by the police.
The accused were identified as associates of Ghaiwal, the notorious gangster from Pune who has been active for more than two decades and is believed to be politically well connected. While a case has been lodged for the Pune shootout, the incident has rattled locals and politicians alike.
Ghaiwal, who faces over a dozen serious criminal cases—including murder, attempt to murder and extortion—was out on bail. He is now absconding.
A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against him amid suspicions that he may have fled abroad. Police are also probing how he may have managed to obtain a passport and visa. The MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) has been invoked against Ghaiwal and he is being probed by the crime branch, Pune police told the media Friday.
Pune police have also said that they are looking at assets accumulated by Ghaiwal and will seal 10 apartments registered in his name.
A blue corner notice has also been issued by Interpol against Ghaiwal and attempts are being made to revoke his passport.
Who is Nilesh Ghaiwal
Nilesh Ghaiwal hails from Sonegaon village in Maharashtra’s Karjat-Jamkhed area and holds a Master’s degree.
Ghaiwal, it is believed, turned to the underworld sometime in the early 2000s after he started working with gangster Gajanan Marne. Marne and he were sentenced to seven years in prison owing to their involvement in a murder. After completing the prison term, the duo parted ways.
He then formed his own gang, running an extortion racket and racking up charges of attempt to murder, murder, and offences under the Arms Act in Pune and neighbouring districts of Ahilyanagar, Beed and Dharashiv.
One case linked to him is the Dattawadi shootout where Sachin Kudle, member of the rival Marne gang, was murdered in May 2010. Ghaiwal was arrested in June 2010 and booked, along with 30 aides, under MCOCA. After seven years in prison, the Supreme Court granted Ghaiwal bail, and in 2019, a special MCOCA court acquitted him and the others of all charges as the prosecution failed to prove its case after witnesses turned hostile.
Ghaiwal’s brother Sachin was also an accused in this case. Ghaiwal has since faced other serious charges but in 2023, he was released from prison after getting bail in multiple cases.
Political slugfest
Since reports of Ghaiwal absconding surfaced, the Opposition in Maharashtra has alleged ties between him and the ruling alliance, highlighting his photos with leaders of the Mahayuti.
The political slugfest was on display last week as it came to light post investigation that permission was granted for an arms licence to Sachin Ghaiwal by Yogesh Kadam, the Shiv Sena MLA who is Minister of State for Home in the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government.
Under attack from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), Kadam said in his defence that there were no cases against Sachin Ghaiwal at the time he requested an arms licence.
शिक्षक व व्यावसायिक सचिन घायवळ यांनी माझ्याकडे केलेल्या शस्त्र परवाना अपील प्रकरणात, पोलिस विभागाकडून आलेल्या अहवालानुसार, सुनावणीच्या दिवशीपर्यंत त्यांच्या विरोधात कोणतेही गुन्हे प्रलंबित नव्हते.
उपलब्ध कागदपत्रे आणि मा. न्यायालयाच्या न्यायनिर्णयाने निर्दोष मुक्त केल्याच्या…
— Yogesh Ramdas Kadam (@iYogeshRKadam) October 8, 2025
However, his father Ramdas Kadam created a flutter when he, in defence of his son, said the request was approved on the advice of a “person holding a high office in the legislature”.
“Ramdas Kadam has pointed fingers at a BJP leader. Under his direction, Yogesh Kadam granted a gun licence to the brother of an accused in a firing case, even after the Pune Police commissioner rejected the application,” Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, alleged to the media last week.
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis, however, said the final licence was still pending with the police. “Permission was not granted so there is no question of any accusations,” he told the media a day later.
A war of words is also ongoing between BJP leader and Vidhan Parishad Chairman Ram Shinde and NCP (SP)’s Karjat-Jamkhed MLA Rohit Pawar.
In a press conference last week, Rohit accused Ram Shinde of pressuring Kadam into granting the arms licence to Sachin. He also alleged that Ram Shinde helped Ghaiwal flee to London on a fake passport. In turn, Ram Shinde attacked Rohit and said that during the 2019 assembly elections, it was Rohit Pawar and his family who were in touch with Ghaiwal.
Speaking to the media last week, Ram Shinde alleged that to defeat him in 2019, Rohit’s father held meetings with Ghaiwal and that the gangster was seen at an event organised by Rohit’s mother.
Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar and BJP MLA Chandrakant Patil are also warring over Ghaiwal. The two parties are part of the ruling alliance.
Dhangekar has indirectly accused Patil of having connections with Ghaiwal through his aide Sameer Patil. He has also accused Sameer of helping Ghaiwal obtain a fake passport and Patil of helping him leave the country.
In turn, BJP leaders have reportedly asked for Dhangekar to be reined in.
ThePrint reached Dhangekar, Patil, Pawar and Shinde with queries via calls but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)