Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad crime branch on Tuesday arrested a 20-year-old Delhi resident for allegedly murdering a daily wage worker in Mulshi on Aug 30.
Mahendra Kumar Banjare (26), hailing from Chhattisgarh but living at Dudhale Vasti in Mulshi, was found dead in a pond on Aug 30. After the body was recovered, a murder case was registered under Section 103 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police said his head was smashed with a stone and stones were tied to his legs before the body was dumped in the water to prevent it from surfacing. Police identified the main accused as Gopal Biswas of Ghazipur in Delhi and said the whereabouts of his accomplice remained unknown. “The duo then lured him to a pond near Dudhale Vasti, killed him with a stone and dumped the body before robbing him of Rs 20,000,” the officer said.
Banjare’s wife had initially filed a missing person complaint with Bavdhan police. A team led by sub-inspector Mayuresh Salunkhe traced and arrested Biswas in Ghazipur. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed that he and his accomplice met Banjare at a liquor shop, noticed cash in his wallet and decided to rob him.
Acting on the directions of deputy commissioner of police (crime) Rohidas Pawar, two teams led by senior inspectors Sandip Sawant and Bhaskar Pulli launched an investigation. After reviewing CCTV footage and questioning workers in the area, police tracked Banjare’s cellphone to Delhi, where it was being used with a new sim card.