Double murder in Somwaripeth over Rs200 wages

Nagpur: A double murder in Somwaripeth market jolted Nagpur on Wednesday evening, with police probing whether the trigger was a simple wage dispute over Rs200 or it masked deeper gang rivalries. Bodies of the two fruit sellers were found on a blood-splattered street with their skulls smashed, probably with a boulder and multiple stab wounds on their chest and limbs. Sources said, revenge murders in the bazaar have continued to dog Sakkardhara's volatile underbelly.The brutality of the crime not only sent shockwaves, but also sparked swift police action with CP Ravinder Singal and Joint CP Navinchandra Reddy reaching the crime scene to oversee operations and boost the manhunt.As per police sources, Aditya Bandve, a Class 12 passout, who lived behind Gajanan Temple in Somwari Peth, and Aditya Rahulkar, resident of Dyaneshwar Nagar in Manevada, were allegedly killed by their fruit vendor employer and his aides after an argument over refund from a recurring deposit scheme. The main accused, Rishi Puttewar, who has 13 cases in his crime sheet, is on the run.Bandve's grieving mother told TOI that her son received only Rs 200 per day instead of a proper salary and he was killed when he demanded his dues.The accused — Rishi Puttewar, Vaibhav Dongare, Abhi Raut, and Vedant Dabir — fled after committing the crime, prompting widespread raids and technical surveillance. Puttewar was earlier arrested in the 2019 contract killing of businessman Rishi Khosla.Somwari Market in Sakkardhara's police limits has long been a hotspot for violent clashes. In June 2020, a goon Gaurav Khadatkar was murdered near Shahu Garden gate by four criminals amid dominance tussles, creating panic in the bustling area.Budhwari Market, in the vicinity under similar jurisdiction, witnessed daylight terror in September 2016 when vegetable vendors killed an extortionist, Ashish Raut, who harassed traders, leading to heightened tensions in the area.