Murder, suicide cases filed in livestreamed killing of corporator

Former Shiv Sena councillor Abhishek Ghosalkar's killing by Mauris Noronha in Mumbai shocks the city, with political and personal motives suspected.

The killing of a former Shiv Sena (UBT) Councillor, and son of a former MLA, Abhishek Ghosalkar, has taken Mumbai by storm. The incident was streamed live on Meta on Thursday. Mauris Noronha allegedly began firing in his office around 8.30 p.m. The office is in IC Colony, Borivali, Mumbai. Ghosalkar was shot in the abdomen and shoulder. He was taken to Karuna Hospital but was declared dead. At 1:30 a.m., he was taken to J.J. Hospital in Byculla for post-mortem. At 4.45 a.m. Friday, he was moved to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali where his remains were kept in the morgue. At 10:30 a.m. on Friday, his body was moved to the morgue freezer and then taken to his residence in Daulat Nagar Borivali.

The assailant was identified as Mauris Noronha. Initially, 5 rounds were fired from the 15-cartridge capacity pistol out of which 4 bullets hit Abhishek Ghosalkar. After shooting Ghosalkar, Noronha went to the rooftop of the office, loaded the pistol with bullets and shot himself in the head.

According to Mumbai police, Noronha had hired a private bodyguard (identified as Mishra) who had a licensed gun that was kept in his office, the crime spot. Two FIRs have been filed, murder and suicide; with the Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch leading the investigation.

During the investigation, the authorities gathered statements from Mauris’s family and close friends who said that Noronha had vowed to kill Ghosalkar. Noronha, who was released on bail in June 2022 after his arrest in a rape case, apparently developed a friendship with Abhishek Ghosalkar.

According to sources, the assailant, Mauris Noronha, had received a notice regarding his rented office space where the crime occurred on February 8. The notice was sent via post by Eugenie Paul Dias, owner of the office. Noronha had defaulted on rent for six months. On March 11, 2024, Noronha was formally instructed to vacate the office premises.

A person named Mehul Parikh who was a guarantor in the rental agreements, was also present at the crime scene when the Meta live was broadcast. The Mumbai police have arrested Mr. Parikh and are investigating him to determine whether he played a role in the crime or had prior information on the shooting.