Youth Murdered Over Smoking Argument, Pune Rural Police Arrest 5 Accused
Panshet, 19th June 2025: In a swift and coordinated operation, Pune Rural Police successfully solved the brutal murder of a 24-year-old local youth in Panshet village within 24 hours, arresting all five accused involved in the crime. The case was cracked through joint efforts of the Local Crime Branch (LCB) and Velhe Police Station.
The incident occurred on the evening of June 15, near Nandabai Kumbhar’s hotel in Panshet, where the victim, Rohidas Kaluram Katkar, a resident of Kadve village, confronted a group of five unidentified young men who were smoking near the hotel. A heated argument escalated into a physical altercation, during which Katkar was fatally assaulted and struck with a stone on the chest. He died on the spot.
Following the incident, a murder case was registered at Velhe Police Station (Crime No. 73/2025) under Sections 103(1), 3(5), 189(2), 191(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, based on a complaint filed by the victim’s brother Avidas Kaluram Katkar.
Immediate Investigation Launched
Senior police officials, including Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill, Additional SP Ramesh Chopde, and SDPO Sunilkumar Pujari, rushed to the scene. Local Crime Branch Inspector Avinash Shilimkar also joined the operation. CCTV footage from the area revealed two suspicious vehicles — a black Activa scooter and a Splendor motorcycle, both seen fleeing toward Narhe-Ambegaon.
One of the number plates displayed MH-12-KH-9642, which led the police to Walhekar Chowk in Narhe, Pune. The vehicle was traced to Ganesh Navghare, whose friend, Akash Subhash Bhise, a resident of Charbhuja Residency, Narhe, had reportedly borrowed it.
Upon questioning, Bhise confessed to his involvement in the murder, leading police to apprehend four more suspects:
Akash Subhash Bhise (21) – Resident of Narhe, originally from Zari, Parbhani
Bhagwat Munjaji Asuri (20) – Resident of Siddhi Chowk, Narhe; native of Pedgaon, Parbhani
Ritesh Uttam Jogdand (21) – Resident of Ganeshwar Park, Narhe; native of Pedgaon, Parbhani
Umesh alias Bhaiyya Ramrao Shelke (21) – Resident of Haveli; native of Pedgaon, Parbhani
Pandurang Bhanudas Sonawane (19) – Resident of Charbhuja Residency, Narhe; native of Hatta, Selu, Parbhani
All five confessed to traveling to Panshet on June 15 on the aforementioned vehicles. On their way back around 7:00 PM, they stopped near the hotel where the altercation occurred. Following the fatal attack, they fled the scene in their vehicles.
The operation was conducted under the guidance of senior officers and carried out by a dedicated team, including officers from the LCB and Velhe Police Station. Officers involved include Inspector Avinash Shilimkar, Sub-Inspector Nitin Khamgal, Sub-Inspector Rahul Gawade, and police personnel Sachin Ghadge, Ajit Bhujbal, Mangesh Bhagat, among others. From Velhe PS, PSI Amit Deshmukh is leading the ongoing investigation.
