3 kill man for refusing to give marijuana, held

Kala Chowki police have arrested three men for killing a 32-year-old man on Tuesday because he refused to give them marijuana. The accused, Amit Shivaji Shelke 19,

Kala Chowki police have arrested three men for killing a 32-year-old man on Tuesday because he refused to give them marijuana. The accused, Amit Shivaji Shelke 19, Raj Anand Salunkhe 18 and Raj Bharatwaj, 18, allegedly fatally assaulted the victim when he told them he did not have any drugs.

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Kala Chowki police have registered a case under section 302 (punishment for murder), 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the police report, the complainant, Bunty Kumardas Kamble, 34, a resident of BMC colony, Siddharth Nagar, Nagpada, had met up with the victim, his friend Amin Patel, 32, who lived near JJ Junction. The two men worked as waiters.

“Each of them had earned ₹1,500 and decided to drink country liquor in Cotton Green,” said an officer from Kala Chowki police station.

The duo was talking on the skywalk adjoining Cotton Green railway station when they were approached by the accused. “It was around 11.15pm when three men approached them and demanded marijuana from Patel. When Patel told the accused he did not have any, an argument broke out and the three accused started assaulting Patel with their fists. One of them hit the victim with a bamboo stick on his head. Patel started bleeding and when Kamble intervened, they started beating him up as well,” said the officer.

Kamble ran to the police station and informed them about the incident. When the police reached the spot, they found Patel bleeding and rushed him to KEM Hospital when he died before receiving treatment. Meanwhile, beat marshals tracked the three accused and arrested them,” said the officer.

“The three accused were produced in court on Wednesday. We have recovered the bamboo stick used in the crime. The three are addicts and keep roaming around in the vicinity, looking for drugs,” said the officer. “One of the accused, Bharatwaj, has a record of mobile theft.”