Thane (Maharashtra), May 31 (IANS) A court in this Maharashtra city Tuesday acquitted due to lack of evidence Maharashtra Police officer Ravindra Angre in a case of attempt to murder a local builder, a lawyer said.

‘Additional Sessions Judge Prahlad Munde cleared Angre of all charges as the prosecution was unable to provide any substantial evidence,’ Angre’s lawyer Anil Kanade told IANS.

The builder, Mahesh Wagh had named Angre after he survived a shooting.

On March 10, Thanes district court also acquitted Angre in connection with a 2007 case of extortion and threatening Ganesh Wagh, also a builder and Mahesh’s brother, again citing lack of evidence.

Angre served as assistant police inspector and then a police inspector in Mumbai and Thane between 1995 and 2006, being known as an ‘encounter specialist’ for gunning down various criminals in gunfights, before being suspended owing to the criminal cases against him.

Currently Angre is a deputy superintendent rank officer serving at Pune Police Training School.