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Kolhapur Daylight Shooting: Father and Two Sons Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
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News18•06-10-2026, 14:09
Kolhapur Daylight Shooting: Father and Two Sons Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- •Hemant Babaso Gaikwad was shot dead in a daylight attack near Ramanmala Post Office Chowk in Kolhapur on May 24, 2013.
- •Principal District and Sessions Judge A. M. Patil sentenced the father and sons—Rajendra Ananda Sawant, Abhijit Rajendra Sawant, and Dhairyasheel Rajendra Sawant—to life imprisonment after 13 years.
- •The murder resulted from a minor dispute over supremacy in the Ramanmala area between the victim and the Sawant brothers.
- •Forensic and ballistic evidence confirmed that Hemant was fatally shot in the head with a private 9mm pistol during the altercation, which also injured Shashikant Gaikwad.
- •The prosecution presented the testimonies of 11 witnesses, technical evidence, and the ballistic report, which were accepted by the court.
Key Questions Answered
The attack stemmed from a minor dispute and petty arguments over supremacy in the Ramanmala area of Kolhapur between Hemant Gaikwad and the father-and-son duo Abhijit and Dhairyasheel Sawant.
Principal District and Sessions Judge A. M. Patil found Rajendra Ananda Sawant and his two sons, Abhijit and Dhairyasheel, guilty and sentenced all three to life imprisonment.
Following the incident, the Shahupuri police initially arrested Abhijit and Dhairyasheel Sawant, while the third accused, Rajendra Sawant, was eventually apprehended during the lockdown.
