The Pune Rural police have arrested two men for the brutal murder of a 28-year-old paan stall owner, Ganesh Sonawane, in Manchar, located about 65 km from the city. The crime occurred late Monday night, and the arrests were made by Tuesday night.
Sonawane’s body was discovered Tuesday morning inside an abandoned SUV near his paan stall at Shitkal Vasti, along the Pune-Nashik highway. A neighboring shopkeeper noticed him sitting motionless in the front seat of the vehicle, which had been left unused for years.
“There were empty liquor bottles inside. He had been stabbed in the chest and his throat was slit,” said Senior Inspector Shrikant Kankal of Manchar police.
The arrested suspects were identified as Siddhesh Renke (19) and Vighnesh Shevale (20), both residents of Manchar. Initial investigation revealed that the three had been drinking together in the SUV when a heated argument broke out. The duo allegedly killed Sonawane using a sharp weapon.
Kankal stated, “We had no initial leads. CCTV footage from nearby shops and inputs from informers led us to the suspects. During interrogation, they confessed to the crime.”
A case has been registered under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against both accused.
