Bar chit-chat helps cops crack mysterious death in Pune

PUNE: A sharp police informer minutely overheard the conversation between two men during a liquor session in a bar in the city a few days ago, leading to the detection of a 45-year-old road dweller's homicidal death in December last year at Veer Gogadev Chowk in Mangalwar Peth on Monday night.
The informer alerted the crime branch officials of the city police about the duo's discussion over alcohol. The crime branch personnel detained the duo - Siddharth Anil Bansode (22), a private security guard, and his jobless friend Shashi Suresh Charan (29) - and handed them over to the Faraskhana police. Both were arrested.
Inspector Mangesh Jagtap of the Faraskhana police said, "Bansode and Charan, both residents of Mangalwar Peth, admitted during their questioning that they kicked and punched the victim, whose identity has still not been established, to the point where he lay motionless around 2am on December 28, 2022. They then ran away from the spot. The victim succumbed to internal injuries moments after the attack and a case of accidental death was registered."
He said, "On Tuesday, we registered a case against Bansode and Charan of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and common intention under sections 304 and 34, respectively, of the Indian Penal Code. The duo had no intention to kill the road dweller. They told us that they had consumed liquor prior to the incident and spotted the victim murmuring something. They thought that he was abusing them and, hence, they assaulted him."
Jagtap said, "The two succeeded in keeping their act a secret for almost two months. Had they not opened their mouths in the bar during the liquor session, the crime would have gone unnoticed."
He said, "A few days ago, Bansode and Charan were consuming liquor in the bar and started talking among themselves about how they kicked and punched the victim and yet managed to evade the police action. One of our informers seated near to them in the bar overheard their conversation. He immediately called the crime branch officials."
Jagtap said, "We had gathered some information about the deceased from the residents around the spot where he was found dead. He stayed on the footpath and on roads. Some people told us that he was mentally unstable. No one knows where he belonged to and what was his name."