A 41-year-old history-sheeter and the prime accused in a sensational 2022 murder case in Velhe was brutally hacked to death by four unidentified assailants near Shindewadi in Pune district on Friday evening. Police suspect the murder was carried out as an act of revenge for the earlier killing.
The deceased has been identified as Sanjay Baburao Kadu Deshmukh (41), currently residing in Mundhwa and originally from Kuran village in Velhe taluka. A complaint in the case has been lodged at Rajgad Police Station by his brother-in-law, Gautam Chandrakant Zhende, a resident of Tadiwala Road.
According to police, Deshmukh had a long criminal record, with three previous murder cases registered against him. He was also the prime accused in the murder of Rahul Prakash Rawat (28), a resident of Bhosari, who was killed in Velhe due to previous enmity. The gruesome murder, which came to light on October 12, 2022, had shocked the region after the victim's body was found with the head severed in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.
Following the investigation, police arrested Deshmukh along with his associates, Dhananjay Sadanand Dhamale and Ganesh Dattatray Nivangune. Deshmukh remained in jail until he was granted bail in April 2026. After his release, he shifted to Mundhwa and had reportedly started working in the real estate business.
According to police, at around 5.45pm on July 11, Deshmukh was travelling in an autorickshaw towards Khed Shivapur. After crossing the old Katraj Ghat and reaching near Shindewadi, two motorcycles carrying four men intercepted the autorickshaw. The attackers allegedly forced the vehicle to stop, dragged Deshmukh onto the road, and repeatedly assaulted him with sickles, killing him on the spot before fleeing.
On receiving information, officers from Rajgad Police Station rushed to the spot, conducted a panchnama and registered a murder case against the unidentified assailants.
Preliminary investigations suggest the murder may have been committed in retaliation for the 2022 Velhe murder case in which Deshmukh was the prime accused. However, police said all possible motives are being investigated.
Police Sub-Inspector Sachin Machale of Rajgad Police Station said teams have been deployed to identify and trace the four attackers. CCTV footage from the surrounding area and other technical evidence are being examined. Further action will be taken accordingly. The investigation is underway.
