29-year-old killed by friend over Ganesh mandal fund row

The deceased, Sandeep Dilip Madhiwal, and accused Govind Ramlu Koli alias Chinna, 30, were friends and organisers of OBN Mitra Mandal in Balaji Nagar, Ambernath

THANE: A 29-year-old man was allegedly killed by his friend after a dispute over the accounts of funds collected for their Ganesh mandal in Ambernath. Police later arrested the accused at Kalyan railway station while he was allegedly attempting to flee the city.

29-year-old killed by friend over Ganesh mandal fund row

The deceased, Sandeep Dilip Madhiwal, and accused Govind Ramlu Koli alias Chinna, 30, were friends and organisers of OBN Mitra Mandal in Balaji Nagar, Ambernath. The mandal had organised the Ganesh festival that recently concluded.

According to police, Madhiwal asked Koli about the funds collected for the festival and their accounts on Monday morning. The conversation allegedly escalated into an argument, following which Koli attacked Madhiwal with a sharp weapon.

After being alerted, Ambernath police formed three teams to trace Koli. The Crime Branch’s Unit 4 also began a parallel investigation.

Police learnt during the probe that Koli had fled towards Kalyan railway station. A team reached the station with his photograph and began checking outstation trains.

The team eventually found Koli in the general compartment of an outstation train headed towards south India. Police suspect he was attempting to reach his native place in Andhra Pradesh to evade arrest.

Rajesh Gajjal, senior police inspector, Crime Branch Unit 4, said Koli had been booked at Ambernath police station under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder. He will be produced before a court for further legal proceedings, police said.