Panvel man killed after SUV driver allegedly runs him over twice

Two suspects were arrested after CCTV footage and call records helped police trace their movements towards Karjat following the attack.

A 33-year-old Panvel resident died after an SUV driver allegedly ran over him twice, following a dispute over parked two-wheelers outside a hotel in Shiravane on Saturday morning.

The driver and his three accomplices allegedly assaulted two other men, including a restaurant manager who tried to intervene, before fleeing from the spot. (PTI/Rperesentational)

The driver and his three accomplices allegedly assaulted two other men, including a restaurant manager who tried to intervene, before fleeing from the spot.

Two arrested after CCTV, call record analysis

Two of the accused, identified as Satish Tayde and Kalim Shaikh, were arrested on Sunday evening after the police went through CCTV footage and analysed their call records.

“They left for Karjat after the fight and were headed for Pune. Their vehicle was found at Karjat. We have identified the other two accused as well and will arrest them soon,” said ACP Sandesh Naik.

The multiple assaults by the accused led to the death of Ranjitsingh Daljit Shergill, 33, while the complainant, Ashutosh Anil Morjkar, 33, sustained serious injuries to his head and hands.

According to Morjkar’s statement, he and his friend Mubin went to Sunrise Hotel in Shiravane at around 5 am on Saturday for a drink. At around 7 am, the two moved to a neighbouring hotel for food.

Mubin had parked his two-wheeler outside and went out to smoke a cigarette. When he did not return by 7.45 am, Morjkar stepped outside and saw him arguing with four men. Several two-wheelers parked near the hotel gate had been knocked down, allegedly by the four men. Morjkar said he tried to mediate, but the men abused him as well.

Two of the group subsequently left while the other two went towards a Creta compact SUV parked in a lane. Morjkar followed them and suggested that they go to the police station to resolve the dispute. “However, the driver refused and threatened me, saying, ‘I will not let you go alive today,’ ” Morjkar stated in his complaint.

SUV allegedly runs over two men

The driver then allegedly reversed the car at high speed and drove into Sujal Vishnu Khedkar, 21, who was standing nearby. He then allegedly drove towards Shergill, who was trying to pacify the group. The complaint stated that the driver reversed and drove forward over Shergill twice before fleeing towards the main road.

The car returned after some time, following which the second accused allegedly emerged with a hockey stick and told Morjkar he would beat him to death with it. He then struck Morjkar on his head and hands.

Morjkar and Khedkar were taken to Meenatai Thackeray Hospital by their acquaintances. Morjkar later learnt at the hospital that Shergill had died at the spot where he was attacked. He provided descriptions of all four accused and stated that he would be able to identify them. The FIR also recorded the registration number of the vehicle as MH 12 UC 7755.

The police are investigating the circumstances leading to the dispute and the subsequent attack, including the role of the other two men.