2 held for fatal assault on pedestrian resisting robbery attempt in Pune's Katraj

PUNE: The Bharati Vidyapeeth police on Tuesday arrested Pradeep Hiralal Shinde (19) of Kondhwa and detained his 14-year-old accomplice on the charge of beating a casual worker, Mahadev Nagnath Chendake (23) of Katraj, to death during a robbery attempt around 8.30pm on February 23.
The police said Chendake was returning to his residence on old Katraj ghat road from Katraj Chowk when Shinde and his minor accomplice intercepted and tried to rob him. When Chendake resisted, the duo attacked him with wooden sticks and left him lying motionless at the spot.
Around 3am on February 24, some cleaning staffers noticed the man and alerted the police. The police took the victim to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. An accidental death case was registered. Investigations revealed the duo's involvement in the attack. It took more than two days for the police to establish the victim's identity.
Senior inspector Vijay Kumbhar of the Bharati Vidyapeeth police told TOI, "Chendake's identity could not be confirmed immediately as he was not carrying any ID card on him. Our team conducted an inquiry in the area and it was found that Chendake had visited a liquor shop before the incident and was accompanied by another man."
He said, "We went to the liquor shop and inquired about the victim and the shopkeeper told us that his friend paid using a UPI application. We used the details of the UPI transaction to reach Chendake's friend and eventually establish the victim's identity. Chendake was staying at Katraj with his parents."
Kumbhar said."After having some drinks, Chendake was walking back to his residence when Shinde and his minor accomplice stopped and frisked him. Chendake resisted their robbery attempt and the two assaulted him with bamboo sticks, which they found at the spot." Chendake sustained severe head injuries, the officer added.
"We conducted an inquiry in the area and came to know that the two youngsters, both school dropouts, had beaten up Chendake. We identified them and arrested them on Tuesday," Kumbhar said.