E-Paper
Gang of 10, including minor, arrested for murder of hotelier Ramdas Akhade
PUNE A gang of 10, including a minor, have been arrested for the murder of Ramdas Akhade, owner of Pune-based restaurant Garva Hotel
PUNE A gang of 10, including a minor, have been arrested for the murder of Ramdas Akhade, owner of Pune-based restaurant Garva Hotel. Among the arrested is nephew of the owner of a rival restaurant in the city.
The two main assailants in the case were arrested on Saturday from Latur and brought to Pun - one is a minor and the other is in violation of an externment order.
The others arrested have been identified as Saurabh alias Chimya, Avinash Dabhade, Kiran Vijay Khadse, Prathamesh Rajendra Kolte, Ganesh Madhukar Mane, Nikhil Mangesh Choudhary, Nilesh Arte, and one minor, according to the police.
The rival hotel was identified as Ashoka Hotel, and the main assailant was identified as the minor booked in the case.
Nilesh Arte and the minor had attacked Akhade with sharp weapons on July 18.
Saurabh had allegedly hatched the murder conspiracy along with the others upon the insistence of Jayvant Khedkar and his son Nikhil Khedkar, according to the police.
Saurabh, the Khedkar father-son duo, and five others were arrested by the police within three-four days of the murder. However, the two main assailants - Arte and the minor - were at large. The police formed two teams and physically followed a CCTV trail of the two in Pune, Ahmednagar, Barshi, Solapur, Latur, and Osmanabad.
“As per information, the investigation team went to Gandhi chowk in Latur district on July 24 and set a trap. As the police identified the two suspects in the area, the two tried to escape under night’s cover on a motorbike. They were caught after a chase of 10-12km,” read a statement from Namrata Patil, deputy commissioner of police, Zone-5 of Pune police.
Further investigation in the case, registered under Sections 302, 120(b), 34 of Indian Penal Code, Section 4(25) of Arms Act, Section 3, 5, 7 of Criminal Law Amendment Act, and Section 37(1)with135 of Maharashtra Police Act at Lonikalbhor police station, will be done by inspector (crime) Subhash Kale.
