One of four arrested Lakdawala shooters is a CISF deserter: STF

Lucknow, July 29 (UNI) The Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh police has claimed that one of the four Ejaz Lakdawala shooters arrested from the state capital was a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deserter who had killed his senior in cold blood in Mumbai.

STF officials confirmed that Namdeo Chandmare was at large after gunning down his commandant in May, 2003.

The fact came to light when the STF sent photos of the four to the Mumbai Police. ''A senior Mumbai police officer confirmed that one of the shooters was, in fact, Chandmare,'' claimed a STF DSP, who was part of the team which arrested the shooters.

The four were arrested following a tip-off from the Mumbai police.

The four were arrested from the nearby Barabanki district where they had gone to scout for a weapon and a shooter to eliminate singer-actor Himesh Reshamiyya and producer Raj Kumar Santoshi. The two had apparently failed to cough up extortion money to the Lakdawala gang.

On May 24, 2003 Chandmare entered into a heated exchange with his commandant A R Karanjikar at the Sahar airport and later shot him with his service rifle. While escaping from the scene he also injured two of his colleagues who tried to intercept him.

Chandmare went into a hiding where he met Anees Radiowala -- Lakdawala's pointman in Mumbai. It was Radiowala who included Chandmare in his gang.

Radiowala was also arrested from Barabanki along with Chandmare and two others.

UNI