Lonavala Murder Case: Grandfather Allegedly Shoots Grandson Over Property Dispute; Five Arrested for Hiding Evidence

Lonavala, 6th October 2026: The Pune Rural Police have arrested five members of a family for allegedly murdering a 32-year-old man at Bhushi in Lonavala and attempting to pass off the killing as an accidental firing from a licensed 12-bore rifle.

According to the police, the deceased, Abhay Manik Marathe, was initially reported to have died accidentally on October 5 after a bullet was allegedly fired from a 12-bore rifle while he was cleaning it. The incident was initially registered as an accidental death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

However, police officers who examined the body at Sassoon Hospital reportedly noticed circumstances that raised suspicion about the alleged accidental shooting. The police said the nature and location of the injury did not appear consistent with the initial account of the incident.

Blood stains found inside hotel

As suspicion grew, teams from the Pune Rural Local Crime Branch and Lonavala City Police inspected the suspected crime scene at Motiram Hotel in Bhushi, Maval.

During the inspection, police allegedly found two pools of blood inside the hotel, including one near the wall beside the counter and another inside the counter area. Blood splatter was also reportedly found on a wall near the door at a height of around five feet.

These findings led investigators to suspect that Abhay may have been shot inside the hotel rather than accidentally shooting himself while cleaning the rifle.

Police subsequently questioned people present at the hotel, including a worker identified as Aniket Jaisingh Ghussar, 34, originally from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and residing in Lonavala.

Property dispute allegedly led to murder

According to the police investigation, Abhay Marathe and his grandfather Motiram Rawji Marathe had allegedly been involved in a dispute over property for several days.

Police allege that the dispute escalated on the morning of October 5, following which Motiram allegedly took his licensed 12-bore rifle and shot his grandson Abhay.

The police further allege that family members subsequently conspired to conceal the murder and destroy evidence.

CCTV DVR and cameras allegedly removed

According to the police, Abhay’s uncle Hiraman Motiram Marathe, cousin Manoj Hiraman Marathe, Kavita Hiraman Marathe, and Hiraman Marathe’s sister Rajshree Dashrath Pawar allegedly acted in coordination after the murder.

They are accused of removing and hiding the CCTV cameras and DVR containing the footage from the hotel, allegedly with the intention of concealing the murder and destroying evidence.

Based on the investigation, Lonavala City Police Station registered Crime No. 223/2026 under Sections 103(1), 238, 241 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Arms Act, including Sections 3 and 27.

Five arrested

The police have arrested five accused in connection with the case:

Motiram Rawji Marathe, 83

Hiraman Motiram Marathe, 54

Manoj Hiraman Marathe, 32

Kavita Hiraman Marathe, 50

Rajshree Dashrath Pawar, 58

All five are residents of Tulsa Niwas, Bhushi, Lonavala, Maval, Pune, according to the police press note.

The investigation was carried out under the guidance of Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill, Additional Superintendent of Police Dr Shubham Kumar and Lonavala Sub-Divisional Police Officer Gajanan Tongpe.

The operation was led by Local Crime Branch Police Inspector Pramod Kshirsagar, along with PSI Abhijit Sawant and police personnel Santosh Shelke, Ganesh Holkar, Sagar Namdas, Ganesh Dhanve, Santosh Bhapkar, Siddhesh Patil and Ajay Dede.

Police Inspector Shankar Patil of Badgaon Maval Police Station is conducting the further investigation.