IT professional's murder: Three arrested, three minors detained in Pune

Pune, Aug 21 (PTI) Three persons were arrested and three minors detained for allegedly murdering an IT professional, a Pune Rural police official said on Thursday.

The body of 28-year-old Saurabh Swami Athawale was found on a hill near the Katraj Tunnel on August 19, a day after he had gone missing, the official said.

"The probe began after a commuter alerted police about the body. Four teams were formed and CCTV footage from the vicinity and adjoining areas were scanned. On Wednesday, we arrested Sangam Kshirsagar (19), Shrimant Gujje (21) and Nitin Trimbak (18) and detained three minors," he said.

"The killing stemmed from personal enmity. Athawale had informed the parents of a girl, who he treated as a sister, about her relationship with one of the juvenile accused. Following this, the minor boy had to shift from Mangdewadi to Wadgaon Maval, which triggered resentment," Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said.

On August 18, the accused lured Athawale on the pretext of a conversation, took him to an isolated hill stretch and killed him with sharp weapons, he said.

The accused, who have been charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act for murder and other offences, were produced on Thursday in a local court, which remanded them in police custody till August 28. PTI SPK BNM