Dagade was done in by a rival gang to take revenge of the murder of their leader Mahesh Mengade, who was killed in Paud on February 8, 2006, on his second death anniversary, said Additional Commissioner of Police Vivek Phansalkar.

In a quick crackdown, within six hours of the murder, the crime branch arrested six persons of the Mengade gang for allegedly killing Sunil.

Phansalkar said, “Dagade and his colleague Sudhir Yadav were going from Mhatre Bridge towards Kothrud via Patwardhanbaug on a two-wheeler. The accused intercepted their vehicle near the traffic signal on Gulawani Maharaj Road. They threw chili powder into Yadav’s eyes and then hit Dagade’s head with a sharp weapon. The accused fled on two-wheelers. Sunil was admitted to a private hospital, but he died when the treatments were on.

Investigations revealed that 11 persons, including Dagade and his brother Bandu Dagade, were booked in Mahesh Mengade murder case. Bandu and Mahesh were notorious criminals and had disputes over a land deal.

Bandu had been absconding after Mahesh’s murder. Of the others, nine are still in jail and Sunil was the only accused out on bail. It now appears that the Mengade gang was planning to eliminate him in an act of revenge. Crime branch sleuths led by police inspector Vijaysingh Gaikwad nabbed the assailants at Kudje village on NDA Road.

They included Mahesh’s brother Ganesh Sitaram Mengade and his aides Ganesh Vilas Tupere, Dutta Amrale, Anna Kiran Satpute, Amol Hari Badhe and Santosh Kamble. Gaikwad said the accused had kept a close watch on Dagade’s movements for last 45 days. They wanted to kill him on the same day when Mahesh was killed.