A 34-year-old man in Navi Mumbai was allegedly beaten to death by his cousin over suspicion of stealing a mobile phone, police said on Friday. The incident happened on Thursday morning inside a public toilet in the Turbhe area. A case under Section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against 55-year-old Arjun Adagale and his associate, Vidhan Mandal, who works at the same toilet. Preliminary investigation indicates that Adagale suspected his cousin, Sudhakar Patole, of taking his mobile phone, which led to a confrontation that turned violent.
According to police officials, Adagale and Mandal allegedly took Patole from his house to the public toilet, where the three consumed alcohol before the assault. The accused are believed to have brutally beaten Patole, resulting in his death at the scene. After the attack, both men reportedly fled. The victim’s body was later recovered and sent for postmortem analysis. The Turbhe police have launched a search operation to trace the suspects and are examining CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to track their movements and gather further evidence.