Two gangsters gunned down in encounter

Pune, June 21 (UNI) Police gunned down two notorious gangsters, including one who was wanted in nearly 40 criminal cases, in an encounter here late last night.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of crime branch sleuths laid a trap to nab the two - Santosh alias Baba Gandale (26) and Sanjay Shelke (26) - on Sus road.

When the duo did not pay heed to the police's warning to surrender, firing took place between both the sides in which the two criminals were killed, while one assistant police Inspector (API) Milind Gaikwad sustained injuries.

Gandale - resident of Bheemnagar, was wanted in nearly 40 serious crimes including murder and theft. He was involved in contract killings and was last arrested in February and handed over to the Ahmednagar police but he managed to escape from the Shrirampur jail in May.

Gandale's accomplice Shelke, a resident of Chinchwad, was also wanted by the police in connection with several cases.

UNI DWN MJ/GK VD HS1439