Eknath Shinde with the accused who shot Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar. (DH has not independently verified the authenticity of the photo shared by Raut.)
Credit: X/@rautsanjay61
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday claimed that Mauris Noronha, who shot dead party leader Abhishek Ghosalkar, had met Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at his official residence only four days ago.
Noronha ended his own life after the shocking incident which took place in suburban Dahisar in the evening and was captured in a Facebook Live video.
In a post on X, Raut tweeted a photograph, purportedly showing Noronha with chief minister Shinde.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member also claimed that Shinde had invited Noronha to join his party.
`Varsha', the official residence of the chief minister, has become a den of mobsters and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (who also holds the home portfolio) has failed miserably and should resign, Raut said.
Abhishek Ghosalkar, a former corporator, was shot dead during a Facebook Live by Noronha, a `social activist', during a program at Noronha's office, police said.
Noronha then shot himself dead while Ghosalkar succumbed to bullet injuries at a hospital in north Mumbai, police said.
Ghosalkar and Noronha had “personal enmity” but the Facebook Live was to clarify that they had come together ending their bitterness for the betterment of the IC Colony area in Borivli, an official said.
Abhishek was the son of Vinod Ghosalkar, a senior leader of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
Chief Minister Shinde said a probe is being launched into the incident.