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Pune police nab 5 for ‘mass murder’ of 7 close relatives, including minors

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In a stunning revelation, the Pune police on Wednesday said that the seven bodies fished out of the Bheema River in the past one week, were victims of a macabre case of “mass murder” by their kin and five persons have been arrested.

As per preliminary investigations, the motive behind the murders – a couple, their daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren – is believed to be a family feud arising out of a tragedy.

Since over a year, the victims – the Pawar family – lived in Nighoj village in Parner, Ahmednagar and the adults worked as daily wagers, Pune’s Superintendent of Police, Rural, Ankit Goyal said.

After the investigations, the police managed to trace and arrest the prime accused – Ashok K. Pawar, 39, Shankar K. Pawar, 37, Shyam K. Pawar, 35, Prakash K. Pawar, 24, and woman Kanta S. Jadhav, 45.

Goyal said that all the accused-arrested are relatives of the deceased Pawar family, the motive is believed to be an old family feud, and they have been booked for charges of murder, conspiracy to murder, common intent, etc.

Their interrogation revealed that Ashok Pawar’s son, Dhananjay was killed in a road accident and he blamed Mohan Uttam Pawar (whose body was fished out from the river) and his son Anil Mohan Pawar for the tragedy.

Ashok Pawar nursed a grudge against his relatives which resulted in the seven ‘mass murders’ committed last week, he said.

Pune police had retrieved the 7 bodies, from different locations, from the Bheema River in the vicinity of Yavat village at Daund for five days from January 18-22.

However, a major breakthrough was achieved in the case after a mobile phone was found with one of the woman’s bodies fished out on January 20, said Goyal, who was flanked by the IO Rahul Dhus, Additional SP Anand Bhoite and others.

From the phone’s data, the police team managed to track down the victims’ relatives living in Ahmednagar who identified them from the photos and belongings, he added.

The victims were: Mohan Uttam Pawar 45, his wife Sangita Pawar, 40, daughter Rani Shyam Phulware 24, her husband Shyam P. Phulware, 28, and their three children – Ritesh, 7, Chhotu, 5, and Krishna, 3.

The first body of a woman was spotted by locals, on January 18, and after a search in the river with motorboats and divers scanning several hundred metres, the remaining victims were brought out over the next five days.

Even as the incident sent shocks among people in three districts, the Pune police cracked into action by setting up multiple probe teams and managed to solve the case by arresting the five.

Crime

ED conducts raids in Rs 200-crore bank fraud, benami assets case linked to Sasikala

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ED

Chennai, Sep 18: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday launched extensive searches in Chennai and Hyderabad in connection with a money laundering probe into an alleged Rs 200 crore bank fraud and benami property dealings linked to V. K. Sasikala, the confidante of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

Officials confirmed that the searches covered at least ten locations across the two cities.

The premises, according to the source, are connected to a businessman who has been identified as an alleged benami of Sasikala. The raids were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The investigation stems from a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had earlier filed an FIR over what it described as fraudulent banking transactions running into hundreds of crores.

Acting on this, the ED initiated its own money laundering probe to trace the flow of funds and identify properties suspected to have been acquired through illegal means or in the names of benami holders.

Sources said officials are seizing documents, financial records, property deeds and electronic evidence from the searched locations. These materials will be examined to establish links between the bank fraud and assets allegedly concealed through benami arrangements.

While the extent of seizures is not yet clear, officials indicated that the raids were aimed at unearthing the full scale of transactions connected to the case.

The action once again puts Sasikala back in the spotlight. A key player in Tamil Nadu politics for decades, she has previously faced allegations and legal battles over disproportionate assets.

The ED’s current move revives scrutiny into her financial networks, particularly through associates and business entities suspected to have acted as fronts.

Investigators are likely to expand the probe depending on the findings from the ongoing searches. If evidence of laundering or concealment is confirmed, assets may be provisionally attached under PMLA, and further charges could follow.

The raids have drawn political attention as well, with observers noting that the timing and the scale of the operation underscore the central agency’s renewed focus on high-profile economic offences in Tamil Nadu.

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Crime

Thane Crime: Shahapur Police Arrest 2 Individuals For Beating 47-Year-Old Man To Death Over Petty Dispute

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Thane: The Shahapur Police have arrested two individuals for allegedly assaulting a man to death over a petty dispute. The deceased has been identified as Ramdash Gorkhane (47), a resident of Pradhan Pada in Shahapur, Thane district.

The accused have been identified as Sunil Nimase and Dhananjay Sugir. The body was found at Ratandale village near the Nagpur–Samruddhi Expressway on Tuesday.

According to the police, the victim and four accused were drinking a liquor together when they later went to the victim’s residence to take a villager’s hen. An altercation broke out, which escalated into physical violence.

The accused allegedly dragged the victim into their Scorpio car and assaulted him with fists and blows about 1.5 km from the spot. Later they have dumped him in unconscious condition at the location and fled the scene.

The body was discovered on Tuesday morning by villagers. Local villagers alerted the police, who rushed to the scene and sent him to a nearby hospital in Shahapur, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Mukesh Dhage, Senior Police Inspector of Shahapur Police Station, said, “So far, we have arrested two accused and launched a manhunt for the remaining suspects. Based on information from the victim’s nephew, a murder case has been registered. Further investigation is underway.”

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Crime

Mumbai Police Bust Fake Goregaon Call Centre Defrauding Foreigners; 13 Held

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The Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 12 has uncovered a major scam targeting foreign nationals, following a raid on an unauthorised call centre in Goregaon. The update was first shared by Mumbai Police on X, highlighting how unsuspecting victims were tricked into paying large sums of money under the pretext of antivirus software renewal.

Investigations revealed that the accused were sending fraudulent emails, posing as legitimate antivirus renewal alerts. Once the victims responded, they were coerced into purchasing gift cards ranging between $250 and $500. These cards were then redeemed and converted into cryptocurrency, making it nearly impossible for victims to track their losses.

The racket primarily preyed on foreign nationals unfamiliar with the setup. Officials said the scam was designed to create panic among users by suggesting that their computer security had expired, pressuring them into making quick payments.

During the raid, police seized 15 desktop computers, 10 laptops, and 20 mobile phones used to run the fraudulent operations. Documents and data recovered from the systems are now being examined to determine the scale of the fraud and to identify additional victims.

Thirteen individuals have been arrested in connection with the racket. This includes two owners who were running the operation, one manager overseeing daily activities, and ten tele-caller agents responsible for contacting and convincing the victims. Police said the arrests mark a significant step in cracking down on cybercrime networks exploiting international victims.

The Mumbai Police emphasised that this bust highlights the evolving nature of cybercrime and the need for continuous vigilance. Authorities added that further investigations are underway to uncover links with larger international fraud syndicates.

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