Pune, Oct 6 (PTI) An 83-year-old man, Motiram Rawoji Marathe, and four others have been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of the octogenarian’s grandson in Lonavala, a hill station in Pune district, over a property dispute, police said on Tuesday.
The arrests were made in connection with the murder of one Abhay Manik Marathe, who was initially reported to have died after a licensed rifle allegedly went off accidentally during cleaning at his grandfather’s hotel, Motiram Hotel, near Bhushi Dam in Lonavala, they said.
Police, however, suspected the circumstances surrounding the death. During an examination of the body, they found no tattooing or smoking marks around the gunshot wound, police said.
The local crime branch later inspected Motiram Hotel at Bhushi in Maval tehsil and found blood stains at two places inside the hotel. Blood was also found splattered on a wall near the door, about five feet above the ground, raising suspicion that Abhay Marathe had been shot inside the hotel, police said.
During questioning, hotel worker Aniket Jaisingh Ghussar told police Abhay Marathe and his grandfather Motiram Marathe, had been involved in a property dispute for the past few days.
Police suspect following an argument between the two over the dispute on the morning of October 5, Motiram Marathe fatally shot Abhay Marathe with his licensed 12-bore rifle.
Police alleged that four others — Hiramam Motiram Marathe (54), Manoj Hiramam Marathe (32), Kavita Hiramam Marathe (50) and Rajshree Dashrath Pawar (58) — helped conceal the murder and destroy evidence by removing and hiding the hotel’s CCTV cameras and digital video recorder.
They have been arrested too.
A case has been registered against all the five accused, residents of Bhushi in Lonavala, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act. PTI SPK RSY
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.