11 March,2026 10:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The accused has attempt to murder and other charges filed against him. Representational pic
In a major breakthrough for Mumbai Police, the crime branch on Wednesday apprehended a long-absconding accused in the 2023 Kashimira International Bakery firing case at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
The accused, Nisar Ahmad Fazal Ahmad Sheikh alias Pappu Pejar, was taken into custody upon his arrival from abroad on Wednesday.
He had been on the run since the incident occurred on October 13, 2023.
According to the police, the complainant, Chandrakant Mallappa Kondgule, was at work inside the International Baking Company outlet in Kashimira near Mumbai when an unidentified assailant pointed a pistol at him with intent to kill. The firearm misfired, and the attacker fled the scene.
A case was registered at Kashimira Police Station under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 384 (extortion), 386 (extortion by putting in fear of death), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the Maharashtra Police Act and Arms Act.
During the investigation, it emerged that the crime was orchestrated by an organised crime syndicate, leading to the addition of charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999.
Pappu Pejar, identified as the main accused, had fled the country immediately after the incident and remained absconding for over two years. Acting on specific intelligence about his arrival by flight at Mumbai airport, a crime branch unit-1 team detained him.
Police sources revealed that Pappu Pejar has four cases registered against him - including at Wadala Truck Terminal, Byculla, and Kashimira police stations.
The accused was produced before the court, which remanded him in police custody till March 20. Further investigation is being led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime Detection) Madan Ballal under the guidance of senior officers, including Commissioner of Police Niket Kaushik, Additional Commissioner Dattatray Shinde, and Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Doifode.
The operation was carried out by a team led by Inspector Sushilkumar Shinde, Assistant Police Inspectors Yogesh Kale and Yogita Baviskar, and personnel from crime detection unit-1, including Safi Avinash Garje, Dhiraj Magane, and Masub Kiran Asavale.
