Mumbai January 20: In a major setback to the city Crime Branch, a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court today dropped the stringent MCOCA charges in the advocate Shahid Azmi murder case.
“The court has dropped the stringent charge from the case today,” said senior inspector Ramesh Mahle, investigating officer of the case.
Azmi was shot dead by unidentified persons at his Kurla office on February 11 last year. The Crime Branch invoked the stringent act on March 17, 2010 in this case.
Crime Branch, on February 16, arrested Devendra Bapurao Jagtap (28), Pintu Devram Dhagle (22) – alleged shooters and Vinod Yashwant Vichare (32) – an alleged conspirator.
The third shooter Hasmukh Shankar Solanki (32) was arrested on March 10.
–Agencies