Pandharpur Police’s crime branch solved the murder of Sheikh Shakeel (30) within 24 hours of his body being discovered near Kasambari Dargah at Padegaon on Tuesday. Seven accused were arrested and a minor detained in connection with the case following a coordinated operation by multiple police teams.
According to DCP (crime) Ratnakar Navale, police received information about an unidentified body lying on a hillock near Kasambari Dargah. Senior officers and crime branch personnel immediately formed four special teams to identify the victim and trace the perpetrators.
“Within two hours, the crime branch established the identity of the deceased through technical analysis and confidential informants,” said DCP Navale. The victim was identified as Sheikh Shakeel, alias Surma Sheikh Arefi, a resident of Phulenagar, Pandharpur area, Waluj.
The seven arrested accused are:
Syed Siraj, alias Mari Syed Naser (29)
Sheikh Rehan, alias Jabbar Sheikh Ibrahim (23)
Kabir Shah Ayub Shah (25)
Sheikh Faizan Sheikh Gulam Moioddin (22)
Sheikh Raheel Sheikh Najor (23)
Sheikh Shahid Sheikh Najir (29)
Sheikh Saheel, alias Baba Sheikh Raju (23)
Investigations revealed that Shakeel had ongoing disputes with some of the accused. Police found that the murder stemmed from a combination of personal disagreements over a love affair, mobile phone issues, and monetary transactions.
During questioning, Mari Syed Naser confessed to his involvement and named his accomplices, helping authorities quickly arrest all suspects from different locations within 24 hours. The accused have been handed over to the Cantonment Police Station for further investigation.
Inspector (crime) Grajanan Kalyankar added that the swift action and coordination among crime branch teams were key to solving the case rapidly.
