Indapur Village Murder: Criminal Avinash Dhanve Brutally Murdered by Eight Men at Highway Hotel; 4 Arrested in 24 Hours

A gruesome incident unfolded in the village of Indapur, situated in Pune District. On the evening of March 16, Avinash Balu Dhanve, a 21-year-old resident of Charoli, Pune, and a known criminal, was ruthlessly murdered by a group of eight men while he was dining at a hotel along the Pune-Solapur highway. Swiftly responding to the situation, the Indapur Police sprang into action and managed to apprehend four of the eight suspects within a mere 24-hour timeframe following the heinous crime.

According to the police, the murder was a result of an old brewing gang rivalry. The deceased Avinash Dhanve was booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and was an on-record criminal booked for serious crimes in Alandi village in Pune District. Dhanve and his gang were involved in heinous crimes involving double murder, extortion and land garbing. The murder was a result of an old dispute between the accused and the deceased.

The deceased Avinash Dhanve was on his way to Pandharpur when he stopped to eat dinner at a hotel near Indapur village in Pune with his friends Bunty alias Pranil Mohan Kakde, Raju Eknath Dhanvde, Rahul Eknath Dhanavde on March 16 at around 8:00 PM when eight men entered the hotel and opened fire towards Dhanve. Four rounds were fired towards Dhanve which pierced his head late the accused stabbed Dhanve with sharp koytas killing him on the spot and fled the scene.

 Pooja Avinash Dhanve the wife of the deceased had registered a complaint and accordingly, a case was registered against the eight unknown accused under sections 302, 120(b), 143, 147, 148, 149 and 109 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 3,25,27 of the Arms Act and sections 37(1), 135 of the Bombay Police Act.

While investigating the CCTV footage and carrying out the technical analysis Senior Police Inspector Suryakant Kokane, Police Inspector (Crime) Avinash Shilimkar and the investigation team realized that the accused were trying to escape Pune and were on the way to Kolhapur. Accordingly, the police laid a trap near Shindewadi village on the Pune-Kolhapur highway and nabbed the accused Shivaji Baburao Bhendekar (Age 35, resident of Alandi, Pune), Mayur alias Bala Mukesh Patole (age 20, resident of Alandi, Pune), Satish alias Salla Upendra Pandey (age 20, resident of Alandi, Pune) and Somnath Vishwambhar Bhatte (age 22, resident of Markal Road, Solu, Pune) while the other four accused are at large.

Further investigations revealed that the arrested accused were earlier involved in crimes like murder, attempt to murder, causing grievous injuries and other serious crimes. Superintendent of Pune Rural Police, Pankaj Deshmukh stated that “The deceased Avinash Dhanve was an on record criminal and was earlier booked in eight serious offences and was later booked under MCOCA. The deceased was in the Yerwada jail and was out on bail on February 7, 2024. Preliminary investigation suggests that the murder is a result if an old feud between two groups. While the police have arrested four accused the other four are being searched and will be soon arrested. The case is under investigation and further details are awaited.”

The deceased was in jail for the past four years and was out on bail. As per the FIR Avinash had food at around 09:30 AM and left his house at. He informed his wife that he was going for a meeting with Bunty alias Pranil Mohan Kakade whom he met in the Yerwada jail for a proposed 2.50 acre land deal in Katraj and the owner of the land is in Pandharpur.  Accordingly, Avinash and his three friends went to Pune District Court and left for Pandharpur. The complainant who is the wife of the deceased claims that the accused Khushal Tapkir had tried to kill Avinash by firing bullets four years ago and also assaulted him following an old feud.