Nagpur: Two masked sharpshooters on a bike fired at the Shravannagar residence of Congress corporator Shubham Motghare in Bhandewadi police limits shortly after midnight on Tuesday, sending shockwaves through the city.No one was injured, but the incident triggered renewed concerns about rising crime in the city. The shooting was captured on CCTV of Motghare’s residence.Motghare, 30, a first-time corporator from NMC Ward 26-A who defeated a BJP panel candidate, returned home around midnight after attending a neighbour’s feast. As he entered his house at Plot No. 71, behind Swaminarayan temple, two unidentified men arrived on a bike and the pillion rider fired at the glass shield of the first-floor gallery. The bullet pierced the glass and got lodged in the room cooler. Motghare’s five-year-old daughter, who was standing near the doorway was unhurt. The entire family was home at the time of the incident.Police recovered the empty cartridge case of a 7.65 mm country-made revolver from the spot. While several residents claimed they heard more than one round, investigators have so far confirmed only one shot was fired.The assailants drove in from the Swaminarayan–Prajapati Chowk side and fled in the same direction, said police.Bhandewadi police registered a case of attempt to murder against two unknown assailants. Footage from the house camera clearly shows the two masked men arriving, opening fire and speeding away.Around 500 CCTV cameras — both govt and private — along the stretch are being scrutinised. However, the bike’s headlights prevented most cameras from capturing its registration number. Around 14 suspects, including the Bhandewadi-based Urkude brothers, are being questioned.Police commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil and Joint commissioner of police Navinchandra Reddy visited the corporator’s residence.Crime DCP Deepak Aggarwal activated all squads. Teams from Bhandewadi, Pardi and Kalamna, along with crime branch personnel, are examining every lead, said police.Congress leadership demanded a strict probe and swift arrests. Motghare, who rose to local prominence during the pandemic by abandoning his own marriage feast to distribute grain among the poor for nearly a year, said the firing appeared part of a larger conspiracy. He has named certain local elements in his complaint.
