Pune Man Found With Severe Head Injury Was Killed In Dumper Accident, Not Murder: Police

Pune: A 41-year-old man whose body was found with a severe head injury in Pune’s Manjari Keshavnagar area was killed in a road accident and not murdered, police said after solving the case through an extensive CCTV investigation.

The deceased was identified as Tipanna Patyappa Rathod, a resident of Mominnagar in Manjari. His body was discovered in an open plot owned by Ranjit Lonkar at around 7:30 am on May 16. Due to the serious nature of the head injuries, police initially suspected foul play and registered a murder case at Mundhwa Police Station.

CCTV Clarifies The Incident…

During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage from the crime scene and nearby areas to identify the victim and trace his movements. Officials said Rathod was addicted to alcohol, following which investigators gathered information from his friends and the places he frequently visited.

Technical analysis and CCTV footage revealed that Rathod had reached the spot late on the night of May 15. Police later noticed a dumper truck entering the area before dawn and leaving shortly afterwards. Investigators checked nearly 70 CCTV footages over three days to trace the vehicle’s route.

Driver Detained…

The investigation revealed that the dumper had come from the B.T. Kawade Road area to dump soil and debris at the location. Police said Rathod was sleeping by the roadside in an intoxicated condition when the dumper driver allegedly failed to notice him and ran over him, causing his death on the spot. The driver then fled the scene.

Police detained the dumper driver for questioning, during which he allegedly confessed to the incident. A case has now been registered against him in connection with the accidental death.

The operation was carried out by a team led by Assistant Police Inspectors Ganesh Piguvale, Sanjay Mali and Kalpana Survase, along with Police Sub-Inspector Yuvraj Poman and other police personnel from Mundhwa Police Station.