Nagpur: The Nagpur Crime Branch has cracked the firing case at the residence of corporator Shubham Motghare, arresting seven accused from Gujarat and Chhattisgarh. However, the alleged mastermind behind the attack remains at large, Police Commissioner Dr Vishwas Nangre-Patil said.

The firing took place around midnight on August 26, when two men arrived at Motghare's house on a motorcycle. One of them opened fire, with the bullet hitting the glass of the gallery railing and leaving a hole. The incident had created a stir in political and social circles.

Following Motghare's complaint, Bhandewadi Police and Crime Branch teams launched a parallel investigation. Police scrutinised more than 200 criminals belonging to 30-40 different gangs and conducted technical analysis of their mobile phones. The investigation revealed that the accused had fled to Gujarat and Chhattisgarh after the attack.

Crime Branch teams subsequently arrested Ankush Janak Tomaskar, Amit Madhukar Thakre, Rishabh alias Chhotya Vishal Nagdeve, Rohit alias Pullya Muneshwar Wahane, Kancha alias Rishabh Bhagwati Paithal, Ketan Durgaprasad Mate and Kartik Bablu Tomaskar. All seven were brought to Nagpur.

According to Nangre-Patil, the absconding mastermind allegedly hired the shooters through a female associate. Police suspect that the attack was a contract job.

Investigators have established that Rishabh alias Chhotya Nagdeve rode the motorcycle, while Ankush Tomaskar allegedly fired the shot. Both are known criminals. Nagdeve has 14 serious cases registered against him and had previously faced MPDA action, while Tomaskar has four serious criminal cases against him.

Police are continuing efforts to trace the alleged mastermind and ascertain the motive behind the attack.