Police on Wednesday arrested a person from Talegaon Dabhade in Pune district for allegedly supplying poisonous substance to the main accused for killing nine family members of the same family in Mhaisal town of Sangli district.
The accused has been identified as Manoj Chandrakant Kshirsargar (48), a real estate agent from Talegaon Dabhade near Pune. Police officials said that prime accused Abbas Mohammad Bagwan and Kshirsagar have a common Solapur connection. Kshirsagar moved to Talegaon Dabhade from Solapur five years ago.
Earlier on 26 June, Miraj police had arrested Bagwan, 48-year-old godman, and his driver Dheeraj Chandrakant Survase (30) from Solapur and charged them under section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Inspector Ajay Sindkar of the local crime branch said, “During investigation, Kshirsagar’s name came into light for supplying poisonous substance to Bagwan. Accordingly, we conducted a search operation and took him into custody.” Kshirsagar was later remanded by the local court to police custody till July 8, added Sindkar.
On June 20, brothers Popat Vanmore (56), an arts teacher, and Dr Manik Vanmore (49), a veterinarian, as well as their 72-year-old mother, wives (aged 48 and 45), their children (the youngest was 15) were found dead in two separate houses a kilometre apart in Mhaisal town.
{{/usCountry}}On June 20, brothers Popat Vanmore (56), an arts teacher, and Dr Manik Vanmore (49), a veterinarian, as well as their 72-year-old mother, wives (aged 48 and 45), their children (the youngest was 15) were found dead in two separate houses a kilometre apart in Mhaisal town.
{{/usCountry}}Six of the bodies were discovered in the veterinarian’s house when a milkman peered through the window as no one had answered the doorbell.
Three bodies were recovered from Popat Vanmore’s residence.
Initial investigations indicated that the families were in debt, and owed more than ₹1 crore to local money lenders who were charging them exorbitant interest rates. Two suicide notes were also reportedly found at both locations, naming the money lenders whom the two brothers had borrowed from.
Police confirmed that, accused Bagwan and Dheeraj Chandrakant Survase were in Mhaisal on the intervening night of June 19 and 20. They had dinner with the Vanmore family.
Around 1am, both accused first reached Popat Vanmore’s residence and urged all the members of family to shift to terrace. Later, they called them one by one to the ground floor and offered them a poisonous liquid as ‘prasad’.
Later, the duo reached another brother’s house, which is 1.5kms apart, and carried out the same act.
“At around 4:30 in the morning after confirmation of death, accused planted notes near the bodies and fled from the spot,’ said Dixit Gedam.
Another official said Bagwan reportedly borrowed a large sum of money from both brothers, reportedly to help them discover a “hidden treasure”. The brothers had, in turn, reportedly borrowed this money from various money lenders as well as financial institutions.