A 27-year-old man was allegedly killed in Pune’s Sutarwadi area of Kothrud after three to four attackers assaulted him with a sickle, an iron weapon and wooden sticks, according to preliminary information provided by the police. The attack took place at about 9 pm on Saturday, on the eve of Diwali.
The victim was identified as Prakash Yevale, also known as Lalya. Police said he was passing through the Sutarwadi area when the group stopped him and attacked him. He suffered injuries to his head and back during the assault.
Local residents helped take Yevale to a private hospital after the attack. However, he died before treatment could begin, according to the report. The attackers fled from the location after the incident.
Kothrud police reached the scene after receiving information about the assault and began an investigation. Police said they had identified the suspected attackers and sent teams to locate and arrest them. CCTV footage from the area and information obtained from eyewitnesses are being examined as part of the investigation.
Technical analysis is also being used to trace the suspects, according to police. The report did not provide the names of the suspects or details of any arrests at the time of publication.
Police said Yevale had previous criminal cases registered against him and was listed in police records as a known offender. Investigators are also examining a dispute he had with young members of a local group several days earlier. The preliminary suspicion is that the killing was linked to this earlier hostility.
The attack during the Diwali period has raised fresh concern among residents about safety and police visibility in the neighbourhood. Police have increased patrolling in the area while efforts to locate the suspected attackers continue. Further details are expected as investigators examine the CCTV footage, witness accounts and technical evidence.
