Deepak Barde's body is yet to be traced. (File)A 31-year-old tribal man, allegedly kidnapped last month over his relationship with a young woman from the same village in Ahmednagar district, was murdered and his body was thrown into a river, police said. The body of the man is yet to be traced. Seven persons have been arrested so far in the case.
Police said Deepak Barde, who hailed from the Bhil tribe and was a resident of Bhokar village in Shrirampur taluka of Ahmednagar district, had been missing since August 31. His father Raosaheb Barde had lodged an FIR at the Shrirampur taluka police station on September 1.
According to the FIR, Deepak was allegedly “kidnapped for the purpose of murder” from Wagholi area of Pune by the accused because of his relationship with a 19-year-old, a Muslim, from the same village. The duo had allegedly eloped about a month ago, following which her uncle lodged a missing report. But they were later traced and family members of the woman took her home.
Deepak’s father Raosaheb, in the FIR filed this week, said that on August 30, his son had gone to Pune for some work and had spoken to him on the phone around 8.30 pm. The next day, two residents of his village told Raosaheb that his son was being “held” by the woman’s father and uncle.
He claimed that Deepak was forcibly brought to the house of the woman’s father in Bhokar village, where he was thrashed badly. Deepak has been untraceable since then, said Raosaheb.
Offence was lodged in the case against the woman’s kin, including her father and uncle, as per sections 342, 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. During the probe, cops arrested seven persons.
Superintendent of Police of Ahmednagar District, Manoj Patil, told the Indian Express: “We have now invoked Indian Penal Code provisions 302 and 120B pertaining to murder and criminal conspiracy respectively, in addition to the provisions applied earlier. The case is now being investigated as murder based on our initial probe.”
Patil added, “Meanwhile, we have intensified the search for the body over the last three days in a specific area which includes a riverbed. Police teams comprising around 100 personnel have been pressed into the search operation. We have also deployed six boats in the river for the search.”
Meanwhile, complainant Raosaheb claimed that Deepak was threatened by the woman’s family following which he had gone to the Shrirampur police station with his uncle to lodge a complaint a few days before he went missing. However, the cops did not register his complaint, Raosaheb alleged.
BJP MLAs Nitesh Rane and Dr Ashok Uike had recently staged a protest in Shrirampur demanding a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in this case.