By Tasneem Bandukwala
The Pune Rural Police have arrested three men and detained three juveniles in connection with the murder of a 28-year-old IT professional, whose body was discovered near the Katraj Tunnel on August 19.
The victim, Saurabh Swami Athawale, worked at a multinational firm and lived in Mangdewadi near Katraj. He had been declared missing on August 18, a day before his body was discovered in a remote area. According to police, Athawale was lured by the accused under the pretext of a meeting, taken on a two-wheeler to a hill near the tunnel, and attacked with sharp weapons.
The arrested accused have been identified as Sangam Kshirsagar (19), Shrimant Gujje (21) and Nitin Trimbak (18). Three juveniles have also been booked for their involvement.
Investigators stated the reason behind the killing was personal animosity. Athawale considered a young woman in his building as a sister and had informed her parents about her relationship with one of the juveniles. This intervention led to the juvenile being forced to move out of his residence. “This created resentment against Athawale and ultimately led to the conspiracy to murder him,” Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said.
The case came to light after a passerby noticed the body and alerted the authorities. Multiple police teams were formed to trace the culprits, with CCTV footage playing a crucial role in identifying them.
The six accused were produced before a local court and have been remanded to police custody until August 28 for further investigation. The case has been registered under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 61(1), 61(2), 238 and relevant provisions of the Arms Act.
Police said further inquiries are underway to determine the exact sequence of events and whether more people were involved.