From 6-Month-Old Orphan To Revenge Accused: Pune Man Held For Allegedly Killing Father's Suspected Killer 23 Years Later

From 6-Month-Old Orphan To Revenge Accused: Pune Man Held For Allegedly Killing Father's Suspected Killer 23 Years Later

A 24-year-old man, Manthan Vaidya, was arrested by Pune Rural Police for allegedly masterminding the murder of Sanjay Kadu-Deshmukh, the man accused of killing his father in 2003 when he was just six months old. Police say Vaidya plotted the revenge killing with three accomplices. The victim was found murdered near Pune's old Katraj tunnel, and the accused have confessed.

PTIUpdated: Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 03:10 PM IST
From 6-Month-Old Orphan To Revenge Accused: Pune Man Held For Allegedly Killing Father's Suspected Killer 23 Years Later
From 6-Month-Old Orphan To Revenge Accused: Pune Man Held For Allegedly Killing Father's Suspected Killer 23 Years Later | file pic [Representative Image]

Pune: In a chilling tale of revenge spanning more than two decades, the Pune rural police have arrested a 24-year-old for orchestrating the murder of the man allegedly responsible for killing his father 23 years ago when he was just six months old.

The victim, Sanjay Baburao Kadu-Deshmukh (40), was found brutally murdered near the old Katraj tunnel in Pune district's Bhor tehsil on July 11. Police said he suffered multiple injuries from a sharp weapon, prompting Rajgad Police to register a murder case.

According to the Pune Rural Police's Local Crime Branch (LCB), investigators used technical evidence to identify Manthan Vaidya (24) and Saurabh Pardeshi as key suspects.

"Both were detained on July 14. During questioning, they confessed to killing Kadu-Deshmukh with the help of two accomplices, identified as Mizan Shaikh and Sandip Kori," senior police inspector Pramod Kshirsagar said on Monday.

Police said the motive traces back to 2003, when Kadu-Deshmukh allegedly murdered Manthan's father, Dinesh Vaidya, following a petty dispute. At the time, Manthan was just six months old.

Manthan had allegedly been nursing a grudge over his father's murder for years and conspired with the other accused to eliminate Kadu-Deshmukh, said assistant police inspector Chetan Machale.

He said Kadu-Deshmukh was out on bail in another criminal case when he was killed.

"We have registered an offence against Manthan and the other accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway," he added. 

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