Subedar and Asian championship medallist found hanging in Vishrantwadi

The tying of the hands is unusual. We are probing various angles, including his personal life, financial situation and professional environment, says police

An international-level acrobatic gymnast serving with the Indian Army as subedar was found hanging from a tree near his residence in Kusmade Colony at Mhaske Vasti on the Pune-Alandi Road in Vishrantwadi on Wednesday morning, police said.

Some CCTV cameras in the area are non-functional, and efforts are being made to repair them and retrieve any possible footage, said police. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The deceased, identified as Siddesh Bhosale, 34, was found hanging with a water pipe tied around his neck, while his hands were also bound with the same pipe.

Deputy commissioner of police Chilumula Rajnikanth said the autopsy report confirmed death due to hanging, but investigators were examining multiple aspects of the case because of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“The tying of the hands is unusual. We are probing various angles, including his personal life, financial situation and professional environment,” Rajnikanth said.

“We are collecting footage from nearby locations to trace his movements after he left home. Some CCTV cameras in the area are non-functional, and efforts are being made to repair them and retrieve any possible footage,” the officer said.

Preliminary inquiries suggest that Bhosale may have been under stress.

According to information shared earlier by the Indian Army’s public information wing, Bhosale was part of the eight-member Indian team that won a bronze medal at the 10th Acrobatic Gymnastics Asian Championship held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in September 2017.

He was attached to an engineer regiment of the Bombay Sappers and was posted at the College of Military Engineering in Pune. He had also trained with the Army’s acrobatic unit in Bengaluru.

Bhosale had won several medals at national and international competitions over the years.

He is survived by his wife and children.

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