Family attacked at Moksha Ghat in Paithan

Family went to perform Dashakriya Vidhi, one seriously injured

Aurangabad, June 30:

Two members of a family who had gone to Paithan from the city for performing after death rituals (Dashakriya Vidhi) were attacked with knife and sticks by five persons on Thursday. The police have arrested four accused while one is absconding.

Rameshwar Gajanan Phutankar (Vishrantinagar, near Mukundwadi railway station) had come to Moksha Ghat behind the Nath Mandir in Paithan with his family to perform the after-death rituals of a deceased family member. Meanwhile, a gold necklace was stolen from the neck of a woman in the family during the rituals. The nearby people informed them that a youth had stolen the necklace. When the family confronted him, he escaped and entered a hotel. The family then went to the hotel and told the youth to return the jewellery. This led to an argument.

The suspected thief and his family attacked Santosh Gajanan Phutankar (40) and Kunal Ranganath Gadhekar (35, both residents of Vishrantinagar) with knife and sticks leaving them seriously injured. Santosh was hit in the head and is in critical condition and has been shifted to a hospital in Aurangabad for further treatment.

Learning about the incident, Paithan police station PI Kishore Pawar rushed to the spot. Four accused Vikas Dnyaneshwar Jadhav, Akshay Somnath Ghodke, Akash Dnyaneshwar Jadhav (Santnagar), Vishal Vitthal Ghodke (Sathenagar, Paithan) were arrested, while Ravi Laxman Jagdhane has absconded. A case has been registered against five persons under various sections on the complaint of Rameshwar.