Aide’s arrest lands duo in net for businessman’s murder in Pune

PUNE: The Chatushrungi police have arrested two men from the city for their alleged involvement in the murder of a dairy businessman (50), who had gone missing from Balewadi on February 17 and was found dead in the Manwath taluka of Parbhani district last week.
The police identified the duo as Vitthal Kale (32) and Narayan Rathod (40). The Parbhani police have arrested their accomplice.
Senior inspector of the Chatushrungi police Anil Shewale said businessman Rohidas Balwadkar had left his house on February 17 after informing his family that he was going to Gujarat to buy buffaloes.
He said, “His family members later lodged a missing person’s complaint with the police, as they were unable to contact him for a few days.”
The Manwath police found a decomposed body near Manwath on February 24. During the course of investigation for ascertaining the identity of the body, the police traced one of the suspects in Parbhani.
“He confirmed that the deceased person was Balwadkar and revealed the names of Kale and Rathod in connection with his death. He also told the police that the duo were in Pune. We arrested Kale and Rathod on Saturday after receiving information on their whereabouts from the Parbhani police,” Shewale said, adding, “The duo were handed to the Parbhani police.”
The officer said prima facie probe revealed that a woman relative of Kale was Balwadkar’s tenant. “He used to harass her, following which the woman and her family had to leave for their native place in Parbhani district. Based on a suspicion that Balwadkar was still harassing the woman, Kale and Rathod hatched a plan to kill him,” Shewale said.
“The duo called him to Parbhani on the pretext of discussing some workhim. Upon meeting him, Kale and Rathod hacked him to death with the help of their third accomplice,” Shewale added.