Pune Shocker: Ration Shop Owner Killed Over Suspicion of Black Magic; Accused Arrested

The Local Crime Branch of the Pune Rural police along with the Rajgad Police has solved the mystery of the unidentified body that was recovered from the banks of Gunjawane River near Hathway Village in Pune District on September 23. Further investigations by the police revealed that the deceased Swapnil Khuthwad was allegedly murdered and the body was disposed of at the banks of the Gunjawane River. The police have arrested the accused involved in the crime. On further investigating the accused it was revealed that the accused killed Swapnil Khuthwad on suspension of black magic and left the body and his bike near Gunjawane River to fake the death as an accident.

According to the police, an accidental death report of the deceased Ganpath Genba Khutwad (age 52, resident of Hathway Khurd, Bhor, Pune) was filed at the Rajgad police station on September 23 as the police recovered his body and his bike from Gunjawane River. The autopsy reports revealed injury on the head of the deceased. The police team visited the bridge on the Gunjawane River and suspected a murder.

Police Inspector Avinash Shilimkar of the local crime branch on the orders of Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh initiated an investigation. The police team questioned the relatives of the deceased Ganpath Genba Khutwad and the local residents of the Hathway village and sought details of his daily routine and the locations he visited on September 22. Further probe revealed that Ganpath visited Nasrapur village while the accused Swapnil Kuthwad followed him to Nasrapur.

The accused Swapnil was not reachable when the police tried to contact him. The police received a tip-off that Swapnil was hiding near Khed Shivapur village accordingly the police laid a trap and arrested Swapnil. Police Constable Abhijeet Sawant and Police Inspector Rajendra Gavli of the Rajgad police station interrogated Swapnil and revealed that the deceased Ganpat owned a Ration Shop and was a devotee of Goddess Kalubai. Swapnil suspected that Ganpat had performed black magic on him due to which he was not receiving ration and had also suffered financial loss. Accordingly, Swapnil planned to kill Ganpat. On September 22 Swapnil caught Ganpat on the bridge on Gunjawane River and allegedly assaulted him and hit him with a stone on his head.

Realising that Ganpat was unconscious Swapnil left him and his bike on the banks of the river to fake his death as an accident. The police have arrested the accused Swapnil Genba Khuthwad (age 30, resident of Hathway Khurd, Bhor, Pune). The Rajgad police has registered under sections 103, 351(2), 351(3) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and further probe is underway.