Thane: The investigation by Manpada police has revealed that a laborer working on a farm near Hedutane village, Dombivli, was allegedly murdered by the farm owner and his accomplices. The murder, which happened six months ago, came to light on Wednesday, July 19, and the Manpada police have registered a case against the farm owner and his two accomplices based on the complaint of the laborer's son.
The deceased laborer has been identified as Santosh Sudam Sarkate (45), a resident of Shanibaba Chawl in Hedutane village, Dombivali. The accused are named as farm owner Nitin Manohar Patil, Vijay Ganpat Patil, and Abhishek Pradeep Lad. Santosh, a laborer, was allegedly murdered in Nitin Patil's farmhouse in the Malhar Dhaba area near Hedutane village in January.
A police officer from Manpada police station said, "Santosh Sarkate was working as a laborer at Nitin Patil's farm near Hedutane village. He was tasked with keeping records of how many water tankers were filled on the farm premises. Santosh was faithfully working on the farm, and as a result, the farm owner Nitin allowed Santosh to keep his gun. Nitin needed a gun, and he demanded one from Santosh. However, Santosh was drunk and unable to tell where the gun was kept. In anger, the accused Nitin, along with his accomplices Vijay and Abhishek, started beating laborer Santosh. They beat Santosh with sticks and kicks, seriously injuring him."
The officer further added, "Santosh was seriously injured, and the accused admitted him to Gyandev Hospital in Kolegaon. During treatment, doctors declared him dead. Against the wishes of Santosh's family, the accused took Santosh's body to the crematorium in Dombivli and cremated it there without filing the necessary documents. The accused tried to destroy evidence of death due to beating. Additionally, they threatened the deceased Santosh's son Sagar and his family, warning them not to speak about this matter to anyone. On Wednesday, the Manpada police has registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 302 (murder) based on a complaint from the victim's son Sagar."
