Man raises objection to eve-teasing, bludgeoned to death in Bibvewadi

The city on Sunday night witnessed two crimes against those who tried to safeguard the honour of women. The incidents took place at Bibvewadi and Sahakarnagar areas where one man was killed while two youngsters were injured.

Dayanand alias Deva Khandekar, the 40-year-old Shiv Sena shakha pramukh (branch head) of Bibvewadi, was bludgeoned to death in Bibvewadi’s Upper Indiranagar area.

The police have claimed that Khandekar had an heated argument with the killers around 15 days ago after the latter had passed crude comments on a woman who is a resident of the area to which the deceased had objected.

According to the complaint lodged by Khandekar’s wife, accused Mazhar Maqsood Shaikh (20) and Rafiq Babulal Shaikh (25) of Upper Indiranagar, Sunil Kakde (25) of Hadapsar, Rafiq Ibrahim Shaikh (25) and Praveen Prakash Pawar (26) of Parvati Darshan area, and Rahul Prahlad Nitnavre (26) and Sajjad Maqbar Shaikh (20) of Bibvewadi had passed lewd comments at the couple’s neighbour. Later, Khandekar had thrashed Mazhar and Sunil.

The murder took place around 7.30 pm outside a footwear shop at Pasalkar Chowk in Upper Indiranagar. Khandekar, accompanied by his son Sachin, had gone to the footwear shop to purchase a pair of slippers for his son.

When the father-son duo came out of the shop, three of the suspects approached Khandekar and got into an argument with the latter. After sometime, one of them picked up a stone boulder from the roadside and hit on Khandekar’s head and fled. Khandekar succumbed to injuries on way to the hospital.

Speaking to dna, assistant commissioner of police (Swargate division) Vasant Sonawane said, “The arrested killers had passed lewd comments on a woman who is a resident of the area where Khandekar was staying. Khandekar had objected to their behaviour and met the eve-teasers to resolve the matter. However, the latter had threatened to take revenge.”

According to the police, the deceased was also a house painting contractor and used to lend money on interest. The police have arrested the seven accused.

In the second incident, two youngsters were beaten by the alleged eve-teasers at Tanjai Vasahat. Two brothers, along with their friend, had gone to question the three persons, including a woman, on Sunday evening after the men had passed lewd comments on their sister. However, the younger brother and friend were beaten up by sticks and assaulted with choppers by the alleged eve-teasers. The elder brother of the girl has lodged a complaint with Sahakarnagar police station. The police have booked the culprits identified as Sachin Ankush Hathagale (18), Gaurav Ankush Hathagale(23) and Jankabai Ankush Hathagale of Taljai Vasahat under attempt to murder.

Sena holds protest march
Shiv Sena took out a protest march carrying Khandekar’s body to Bibvewadi police station. The party’s Pune district incharge Gajanan Keertikar alleged that the police were hand in glove with the perpetrators of the crime. Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe, MLAs Mahadev Babar and Chandrakant Mokate, and BJP MLA Madhuri Misal led the march. Misal pointed out that despite her demand for the past three years, the authorities have not started a new police chowky in Upper Indiranagar area. After paying tribute to Khandekar in front of the police station, the body of the deceased was sent to his native place in Solapur.