Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A petty dispute over a phone call spiraled into violence in Osmanpura on August 28 night, when a trader was beaten with sticks and stabbed in the waist by his neighbour.
The victim, Kamlakumar Kothari (54), a resident of Ulkanagari and industrial supply trader, also owns a flat in Osmanpura where his nephew lives. That night, Kothari’s son Rishabh had gone to the flat before leaving for Kolhapur. When the door accidentally locked, Rishabh phoned his father for a spare key. Hearing this, neighbour Vijay Wadmare, annoyed at the phone conversation, began shouting at Rishabh for “disturbing him.” As Rishabh stepped downstairs, Wadmare abused him something Kothari overheard on the call. Alarmed, Kothari and his nephew rushed to the flat. On arrival, the quarrel escalated. Kothari told Wadmare to return inside and was walking down the staircase when Wadmare and his two sons attacked him one with a cricket bat, another with a hockey stickshouting they would kill him. In the assault, Wadmare pulled out a knife and stabbed Kothari in the waist after a failed first attempt. Kothari’s son and nephew managed to take him to hospital. Doctors later declared his condition out of danger. On regaining stability, Kothari gave a statement, leading to a case being registered. Police inspector Atul Yerme confirmed that Wadmare, identified as a political party worker, was arrested immediately.