Man beats cousin to death on suspicion of mobile phone theft in Navi Mumbai

Thane, Nov 7 (PTI) A 34-year-old man was beaten to death by his cousin and an aide on suspicion of stealing a mobile phone in Navi Mumbai, police said on Friday.

The attack took place in a public toilet in the Turbhe area on Thursday morning, an official said.

A case has been registered under section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the accused Arjun Adagale (55) and one Vidhan Mandal, who works at the public toilet.

According to a preliminary investigation, Adagale allegedly suspected his cousin, Sudhakar Patole, of stealing his mobile phone.

"Adagale and his friend Mandal brought the victim out of his house and took him to a public toilet, where they consumed alcohol. The accused allegedly brutally assaulted Patole and killed him on the spot," an official from the Turbhe police station said.

He said that the duo fled the scene, and the body was later recovered and sent for a postmortem.

The Turbhe police have launched a manhunt for the accused and are examining CCTV footage from the area to trace their movements. PTI COR ARU