Barwani: Police have arrested four persons, including three juveniles, in connection with the murder of a 40-year-old man in the Silawad police station area of Barwani district. The arrest was made on Friday, following a detailed investigation that revealed the death was not a suicide as initially suspected.
Incident Details
Silawad police station in-charge RK Lovanshi stated that the victim, Gangaram Bhugwade, a resident of Pokhaliya village, was found hanging from a tree in a gorge on May 7. Initially, the case was treated as a suicide. However, family members pointed out that Gangaram had been carrying a white scarf (gamcha), whereas his body was found hanging with a red scarf tied around his neck. This discrepancy raised suspicion and prompted further investigation.
Sequence of Events
According to police, Gangaram had gone to his in-laws' house in Charankheda and was returning on a two-wheeler when his vehicle collided head-on with another motorcycle near Keli village. The rider of the other motorcycle, identified as Ritesh, reportedly fell unconscious after the collision. Ritesh was also returning to his village after dropping his in-laws at Dongargaon.
Lovanshi explained that relatives and members of Ritesh's in-laws' family reached the spot after learning about the accident. They assaulted Gangaram, who then fled towards a deep gorge to hide. Around 10 people allegedly chased Gangaram into the gorge and started pelting stones at him, forcing him to climb a tree in fear.
The Murder
Lovanshi said, "One of the juveniles believed to be the main accused climbed the tree, wrapped his scarf around Gangaram's neck, tied the other end to a branch and pushed him, resulting in his death." He added, "The death was initially being treated as a case of suicide. It became suspicious because of the colour of the scarf and this clue helped police crack the case."
The arrested individuals are currently in custody, and further investigation is ongoing. The police have not disclosed the names of the juveniles due to legal restrictions.
