Former panchayat samiti member cuts off man’s hand over old feud

Former member of Murbad Panchayat Samiti, Shrikant Dhumal, and two accomplices cut off a man's hand over a dispute of ₹350. One suspect has been arrested.

Thane: A former member of Murbad Panchayat Samiti, Shrikant Dhumal, along with two accomplices, cut off the hand of a young man, Sushil Bhoir, due to an old dispute. The incident was rooted in a rivalry over ₹350, for which the accused wanted to teach a lesson to the victim.

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The attack happened on Friday evening around 3:30pm when Bhoir was travelling in a rickshaw on Murbad Barvi Dharan road. The accused, identified as Shrikant Dhumal, his brother-in-law Ankush Kharik, and Nitin Dhumal, intercepted the rickshaw, pulled Bhoir out, and inflicted the injury using a sharp weapon.

Murbad police said, “ The accused were keeping an eye on the victim. Bhoir was repairing his house in the village and was recently staying in Ambernath for work. He completed the house-related work and was heading towards Ambernath in a rickshaw. On seeing Bhoir coming in a rickshaw, Dhumal along with his companions blocked the rickshaw with a car at a deserted place near Barvi Dam. The accused took Bhoir out and cut his hand off with a sharp weapon which was brought by the accused Nitin who used it for his fish business. They later fled from the spot.”

Bhoir, left in a pool of blood, sought help from passersby and was taken to a hospital in Kalyan, later shifted to Sion Hospital in Mumbai.

Police inspector, P Pandhare of Murbad police station, said, “ We immediately started searching for the accused and we were able to trace one of the accused Nitin Dhumal. According to the allegations, there was an old dispute between the former chairman of Murbad panchayat samiti Srikant Dhumal, Nitin, and Sushil Bhoir over some issues. The fight started with ₹350 fish which the victim had to pay to the accused Nitin who runs a business of selling fish.”

The conflict led to the formation of two opposing groups in the village, prompting Bhoir to relocate to Ambernath. Upon returning to the village to repair his house, Dhumal was angry about this. In a vengeful plot, the accused planned the attack on Bhoir, leaving the victim in a critical condition. Despite the severity of the attack, Bhoir survived. Photos and videos of the incident have surfaced, causing a stir in the area and heightening tension in Murbad taluka.

A case has been registered against Shrikant Dhumal, Ankush Kharik, and Nitin Dhumal at the Murbad police station. While one accused, Nitin Dhumal, has been apprehended, police are pursuing the remaining two culprits.