Mumbai, Jan 10 (IANS): An 18-year-old boy was alleged shot dead by his friends after a brawl at a liquor party near Kalyan town late on Monday, police said on Tuesday.

The victim has been identified as Rajan Yerkar, 18, who was killed by a country-made pistol in possession of one of his partying friends.

According to police, the shocking incident happened in Mharal village in rural Kalyan’s Suryanagar vicinity where the five friends had gathered for a drinking session.

They included the Yarkar and his friends, Samir Chavan, Rohit Bhalekar, Parvez Sheikh and Sunil Waghmare, all reportedly alcoholics, and history-sheeters.

During the party, initially there were some heated arguments which led to verbal abuses and fisticuffs when one of the friends suddenly whipped out a country-made pistol, brandished it before the others and then fired at Yerkar from point blank range, seriously injuring him.

The others attempted to rush him to a nearby hospital, but he was declared dead before admission.

After getting a tip-off, the Kalyan Taluka police swung into action and managed to nab Bhalekar and Chavan, while the other two Shaikh and Waghmare are still absconding.

In-charge head of the Kalyan Taluka Police Station, Inspector Jitendra Shinde told IANS that several teams have gone to hunt for the two fugitive accused and they will be nabbed very soon.

Meanwhile, Bhalekar and Chavan were produced before a court which has sent them to police custody till Saturday, and further investigations are on. The accused have been charged under various sections of the IPC, Maharashtra Police Act, and the Arms Act.