A search of the accused’s bag led to the recovery of two live pigeons, which police believed he intended to eat, and the victim’s broken upper jaw with several teeth
Nashik: A 30-year-old man allegedly bludgeoned his maternal cousin to death with a stone over a monetary dispute near Nagardevla railway station in Jalgaon district around 10.30pm on Monday. Police identified the accused as Juga Kantilal Pawar (30) and the deceased as Dharma Pawar (40), both from Nagardevla. Police said Dharma had earned Rs 800 from selling the beads on Monday.
Jalgaon superintendent of police Shrikant Dhivare said the two men were maternal cousins. “They used to earn their livelihood by travelling to towns and selling duplicate rudraksha beads,” he said. “Later, he and Juga met near Nagardevla railway station, bought alcohol and went to an isolated spot near the tracks to drink,” police said. While consuming alcohol, an argument reportedly broke out between the two over money, according to police. “The verbal altercation soon turned violent, following which Juga allegedly picked up a large stone and repeatedly smashed Dharma’s head, killing him on the spot,” police said. “A search of the accused’s bag led to the recovery of two live pigeons, which police believed he intended to eat, and the victim’s broken upper jaw with several teeth,” Sonawane said, adding, “Juga has not offered any explanation so far.
In a horrific twist, police later recovered the victim’s broken upper jaw and teeth from the accused’s bag after tracking him down shortly after the crime. Locals later spotted the body and informed Bhadgaon police station. As officers combed the area for clues, they heard dogs barking persistently from a nearby agricultural field. The reason behind keeping the jaw remains a mystery and will become clear during interrogation.”