Minor abducted, killed for giving information about criminal

The Kondhwa Police have arrested three suspects for the abduction and murder of a 16-year-old for allegedly giving a tip to another group of dhol-tasha, said officials on Wednesday

Pune: The Kondhwa Police have arrested three suspects for the abduction and murder of a 16-year-old for allegedly giving information about a criminal to the rival gang, said officials on Wednesday.

After getting no response about his whereabouts from friends, Anush’s mother filed a missing complaint at Kondhwa police station on Sunday. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The arrested included Mahadev Govind Gajakosh (19) of Shivnerinagar in Kondhwa, Pranay Sunil Pawar (19) from Kondhwa and Saurabh Manik Tayade (18) of Babar Chowk in Kondhwa, and a minor was detained on Tuesday

The other accused on the run are Sainath alias Saya Lonkar, Appa alias Omkar Kapare, Rohan Gawali, Raj Thombare, Krushna Jaogdand, Bhagesh Mailenkare and Nilesh Mailenkare.

The arrested have been remanded in police custody for 10 days.

According to the police, Anush Amol Payal left home to participate in a practice of Dhol Tasha Pathak in Bhagyodaynagar in Kondhwa at around 9 pm on Saturday. When the 16-year-old did not return home after midnight, his mother Komal Amol Payal and other family members began a search for him. After getting no response about his whereabouts from friends, Anush’s mother filed a missing complaint at Kondhwa police station on Sunday.

After invoking kidnapping charges, the police began questioning the minor’s friends. Aadesh Balasaheb Kapade, 16, of Shivnerinagar in Kondhwa and a friend of Anush told the police that a group of 10–11 people had kidnapped the latter and held captive at Mantarwadi.

Sandeep Bhosale, inspector (crime), Kondhwa police station, said, “On being further probed, Aadesh said the accused brutally beat up Anush using bamboo and spade, causing his death. Later, to erase evidence, the accused threw the body near Bharmhan hills in Saswad area. He also told the police that the accused had abducted the two friends and let off Aadesh after confirming that it was Anush who had given the tip about a criminal to the rival gang.”

Police formed teams to arrest the accused and received an alert of an unnatural death entry at Saswad police station under Section 174 of Criminal Procedure Code. Aadesh confirmed the body as that of Anush. Sections related to murder was added to the case on Monday.

Bhosale said the absconding accused will be arrested soon.