Pune: Five minor boys were detained on Wednesday for allegedly opening fire on a 17-year-old junior college student at Charwad Vasti in Wadgaon Budruk on Tuesday night.Police said the incident was a fallout of a long-standing rivalry between them. The victim, who suffered a gunshot wound on his thigh, was admitted to Sassoon General Hospital and is reported to be out of danger.According to assistant inspector Sameer Karpe of Sinhagad Road police, the victim and the suspects were well-acquainted and shared a history of conflict. “We picked up all five boys on Wednesday. We also recovered a country-made pistol from one of the detained minors,” Karpe said.During interrogation, the minor revealed that the firearm had been provided by another boy currently lodged in a govt observation home. Police said they will question the boy in the observation home after securing necessary legal permissions.The incident unfolded around 11.45pm when the victim and a friend were travelling through the area on a motorcycle. The suspects, also on motorcycles, intercepted them and forced them to stop.“The detained boys issued death threats before physically assaulting the victim and his friend with kicks and punches,” police said. “The suspects then attacked the boy with sharp weapons and vandalised their motorcycle.”During the assault, one of the five suspects pulled out a country-made pistol and fired at the 17-year-old from close range, striking him in the thigh.Investigations revealed that both the victim and the suspects have previous criminal records registered against them. Police noted that the teenagers involved come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds; their parents work as electricians, autorickshaw drivers, domestic helpers, and fabrication unit workers.
