An argument between friends may have led to the murder of Vinayak Shirke, the 18-year-old college student from Bhandup, on November 12, say investigators with the Bhandup police station.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the accused Mayur Shinde, 24, and Santosh Chavan, 30, who were Shirke’s friends had a fall- out with him over their friendship with Ghulam Ali, a notorious criminal living in the area.

“Few days before he was murdered, Shirke had expressed his displeasure over their friendship with Ali,” said Mohan Tadkar, investigating officer with the Bhandup police. “Shirke had advised them not to get influenced by Ali, and that any association with Ali would turn them into criminals. His statements angered Shinde and Chavan, who decided to eliminate him.” 

According to the police, both Shinde and Chavan have a history of petty criminal cases. The duo is accused of allegedly pounding Shirke, a student of Natha Pai College at Bhandup, with bamboo sticks. Shirke, who suffered serious head injuries in the attack,  died at KEM hospital on November 16 after being in a coma for three days.