25-Year-Old Man Stabbed To Death By Friends In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar; Three Held Within Hours

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A 25-year-old man with a criminal background was stabbed to death by his friends after a quarrel in the Mukundwadi area on Thursday afternoon. Police arrested all three accused within three hours of the murder, officials said.

The victim, Kishor Raosaheb Hiwale, a resident of Rajnagar, was killed after a dispute over money. The accused have been identified as Datta Ganpat Rokade (38), Shubham Siddharth Ranshur alias Badya (19), and Kantilal Daulat Bhuigad (55), all from Masnatpur.

The incident took place within 100 metres of Mukundwadi police station, raising concerns about law and order in the area.

Police said Hiwale had come to the city a few days ago from Ashti, where he lived with his mother. On Thursday morning, he had an argument with a trader at API Corner. The three accused were present at the spot. They allegedly robbed the trader of money and clothes.

Later, the accused went to Mukundwadi Bhaji Mandi, where they drank liquor. During this time, a dispute broke out between them and Hiwale over sharing the money. In a fit of anger, the three attacked him with a sharp weapon and stabbed him around 10 to 12 times in the stomach.

Hiwale collapsed on the spot and died in a pool of blood. The accused fled immediately after the attack.

On receiving information, teams from the crime branch and Mukundwadi police rushed to the spot and began an investigation. Acting on a tip-off, police traced Rokade to a relative’s house in Masnatpur and arrested him. Separate teams later arrested the other two accused.

The operation was led by Crime Branch PI Gajanan Kalyankar and Mukundwadi Police Station PI Sachin Ingale, along with their teams.

Police said both the victim and the accused have criminal records. Rokade has more than eight cases registered against him, including robbery, molestation, assault and murder. Shubham also has three cases against him.

Further investigation is underway.