Sand trader killed in Itwari, three friends arrested

A sensational incident under Nagpur's Tehsil police station limits on Sunday morning caused alarm across the city. A 38-year-old man was found lying in a pool of blood at a tea stall opposite Kasar Bhavan, near the Itwari post office. He was rushed to Mayo Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on examination.

The deceased was identified as Manish Chandrashekhar Mohite (38), a resident of Mahal. He was involved in the sand trade.

Acting on a complaint by the victim's brother, police detained and arrested three young men who had been with Manish on the night of the incident. The arrested accused have been named as Nikhil Chavan, Kunal Jhade and Vinay Paunikar. According to police, Nikhil and Kunal already had criminal records. It also emerged that Manish had some cases registered against him as well.

According to the police investigation, Manish was with his acquaintances Nikhil, Kunal and Vinay on Saturday night. Around 8:30 pm, Manish called his brother Roshan asking about the car keys. He then called again around 10:30 pm to ask for money.

Manish then asked his brother to meet him at White House Bar in Zhanda Chowk. When Roshan arrived there, Manish and Nikhil were drinking. A short while later, Kunal and Vinay also joined them and the four drank together. Manish then bought a bottle of liquor and all four left the bar.

Manish and Nikhil rode off on one Activa scooter, while Kunal and Vinay left on another. When Manish did not return home late into the night, his family began trying to reach him. On the phone, Manish told them he was near Tajnekar Sculptor's shop in the Chitaroli area. Police are investigating the circumstances under which contact with him was lost after that.

The matter turned serious on Sunday morning when Manish was found covered in blood near the tea stall. He had suffered serious injuries. He was immediately taken to Mayo Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

On learning of the incident, Sub-Inspector Madhukar Kathoke of Crime Branch Unit 3 contacted the deceased's family. Around 9 am, he reached Roshan Mohite's house and asked about Manish. The family was then told that Manish had been seriously attacked and had died at the hospital.

During examination of the scene, police found blood-stained stones near the tea stall, raising the possibility that Manish was attacked with stones. However, the weapon used in the killing and the full circumstances of the attack are still under investigation.

Amit Paunikar, who runs the tea stall, said nearby residents informed him of the incident in the morning. A neighbour, Suresh Pathrabe, arrived with some others and told him about what had happened at the stall. Manish's brother Roshan then lodged a complaint at the Tehsil police station.

Manish was involved in the sand trade and reportedly ran the business along with Gotu Mohite of Tumsar. Police are currently probing a financial dispute or dispute over money as a possible motive, though the real reason is not yet clear.

Police are trying to establish where the four young men went after leaving the bar on Saturday night, what the dispute between them was about, and who took Manish to the tea stall. CCTV camera footage from the surrounding area is also being examined to piece together the sequence of events.

Given the seriousness of the case, a Crime Branch team has also joined the Tehsil police in the investigation. The three arrested accused are being questioned to establish the full chain of events leading to the killing. Police are also examining whether the incident resulted from a sudden dispute or was premeditated.

All three accused are currently in police custody and questioning is ongoing. Police say the motive for the killing and other aspects of the case will become clearer as the investigation proceeds.