Pune: Young Man’s Rage Leads to Abduction and Murder of 18-Year-Old; Drishyam-Like Cover-Up Fails in Pimpri Chinchwad
Varad Bhatkhande
Pimpri Chinchwad, 26th March 2024: Fueled by rage ignited by the publicizing of his brother’s demise on social media, a young man, alongside his accomplices, planned the abduction and subsequent murder of an 18-year-old boy. Concealing the victim’s body, they wanted to erase all traces of the crime like the film “Drishyam”. However, their efforts were thwarted by police, leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.
On March 18, Swapnil, also known as Sanjay Shinde, owner of Maratha Hotel in Rase Phata of Khed taluka, was subjected to gunfire upon entering his establishment, sustaining injuries. Rahul Pawar, Ajay Gaikwad, and an unidentified individual were implicated in the incident. Initially, Ajay Gaikwad was detained, but technical scrutiny enabled the authorities to identify and arrest Amar Namdev Shinde on March 23. Rahul Pawar, the primary suspect, remains at large.
The motive behind the attack on Swapnil Shinde stemmed from Rahul Pawar’s belief that Swapnil was implicated in the murder of his brother, Ritesh Pawar, three months prior. Amar Shinde disclosed to the police that he, along with accomplices including Abhijit Sadanand Marathe, fired upon Swapnil Shinde.
The assault on Swapnil Shinde occurred on March 18, preceded by the killing of Aditya Yuvraj Bhangre on March 16, as revealed in the police investigation. Aditya Bhangre had posted gruesome images of Ritesh Pawar’s murder on social media, enraging Rahul Pawar. Rahul Pawar and his associates abducted Aditya Bhangre from his vehicle on March 16, subjecting him to assault and strangulation with a wire, resulting in his demise.
The accused orchestrated the murder of Aditya Bhangre and attempted to eradicate any trace of the crime. To deceive law enforcement, they staged a fire at an isolated location in Nimgaon, Khed taluka, suggesting Aditya’s body had been burned there. Additionally, one of the perpetrators dispatched Aditya’s mobile phone to Goa, creating a false trail in technical analysis and placing Aditya in Goa. Despite their efforts, neither Aditya’s remains nor substantial evidence were discovered at either site. The perpetrators believed that the absence of a body would work in their favour during legal proceedings. However, the police obtained crucial CCTV footage depicting the abduction of Aditya and meticulously tracked the perpetrators’ movements.
The accused murdered Aditya in a vehicle and disposed of his body in a wooded area near Valwada in the Valsad district of Gujarat, along the Maharashtra-Gujarat border. A missing person report for Aditya was filed at the Mahalunge MIDC police station. Authorities recovered the partially burnt remains from Valwada. Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Shivaji Pawar stated that due to the condition of the body, identification would rely on DNA testing.
This operation was conducted under the guidance of Commissioner of Police Vinay Kumar Choubey, Additional Commissioner of Police Vasant Pardeshi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3) Dr Shivaji Pawar, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Chakan Division) Rajendra Singh Gaur. The team included Chakan Senior Police Inspector Pramod Wagh, Mahalunge MIDC Senior Police Inspector Nitin Geete, and others.
