Phalli
Nagpur: A MCOCA accused facing multiple narcotics offences, 25-year-old gangster Vishal Gupta alias Phalli, was arrested from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Saturday after being on the run for two months. He was tracked down with his girlfriend Sahali Pandhram, 1,900km away from his home turf. Police were on Gupta’s hot pursuit after the August 26 firing outside corporator Shubham Motghare’s home put him at the centre of a major organised-crime probe. Police records list around 15 cases against him, including murder, attempt to murder, rape and assault. Phalli came under intense scrutiny after allegedly opening fire on Congress corporator Motghare’s residence at Shrawan Nagar on August 26. The breakthrough came on October 24 when crime branch unit led by senior inspector Vinayak Golhe raided a flat in Narendra Nagar and arrested five men and seized 1.405 kg MD, six mobile phones, Rs 3.44 lakh in cash, a car, four two-wheelers and other material pegged at Rs 1.54 crore. Police alleged Phalli coordinated the consignment from his hideout and sent an advance of Rs 15 lakh through his network.
He was also held under preventive detention laws. Investigators believe the attack stemmed from a bitter fallout as Phalli suspected Motghare of tipping off cops about his links with drug peddlers. After the shooting, Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was invoked against him. A sixth accused was later held.
Sources said the family migrated from Uttar Pradesh two decades ago and over the years he joined local gangs, graduated from petty offences to serious crimes, and almost eliminated an aide.