Police identified the three accused as Latif Babu Shaikh (43), a resident of Parge Nagar, Kondhwa; and Shubham Pramod Kasvekar (24), and Shubham Santosh Ubale (22) of Nagpur chawl in Yerwada. (Representational Image)
PUNE POLICE have arrested three persons, including a local businessman in connection with the murder of a money lender, found dead at his residence in Kondhwa on July 11.
The deceased, Ganshyam alias Pappu Babanrao Padwal, had a criminal record. Police identified the three accused as Latif Babu Shaikh (43), a resident of Parge Nagar, Kondhwa; and Shubham Pramod Kasvekar (24), and Shubham Santosh Ubale (22) of Nagpur chawl in Yerwada.
According to police, Padwal was residing alone at Bramha County Society in Kondhwa. His family members were trying to contact him on his mobile phone, but he was not responding, police said.
Police said on July 11, when they got into Padwal’s apartment with the help of a duplicate key, they found him dead.
A team from Kondhwa police station led by Inspector Mahadev Kumbhar started a probe into the case. Police found that Padwal had been attacked with sharp weapons about 55 times and the culprits even took away CCTV camera footage of the house. Also, police found that the CCTV cameras installed at Padwal’s residential society were non-functional.
A press release issued on Thursday by Senior Inspector Vinayak Gaikwad of Kondhwa police station stated that Padwal was into the business of lending money, due to which he had disputes with several people. He was threatening and abusing people unable to return money he had loaned to them, the release added.
A probe has revealed that he gave Rs 50 lakh to Shaikh over the last four years at an interest of 20 per cent, 14 per cent and 10 per cent per month.
Police said Shaikh was into the business of scrap and fabrication, and had sold his property and repaid about Rs 2 crore to Padwal. Padwal, however, demanded Rs 80 lakh more within a fortnight, and threatened to kill Shaikh if he failed to pay up, police added.
Police further said Shaikh then conspired to get rid of him. The probe also revealed that Padwal was suffering from some health issues and Shaikh had told him of a religious person who could cure him.
Shaikh went to Padwal’s house with Ubale and Kasvekar on the pretext of helping him with his health issues, but attacked him multiple times, causing his death, police said.
Police said Padwal was earlier residing in Pune Camp area, where he worked as a driver, and later got into the illegal money lending business. In March 2010, Padwal had managed to survive three bullet injuries after five men from a rival group opened fire at him in Pune Camp area, police added.