IN A shocking incident that has sent shockwaves across the city, a 14- year-old boy, who went missing during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in G i t t i k h a d a n , was found murdered with his body stuffed inside a sack and dumped on a railway bridge on Bharatwada by-pass. The accused are yet to be identified. The brutal killing has triggered widespread outrage among residents, who gheraoed the Gittikhadan Police Station and accused the police of a slow and careless approach in the investigation. The victim, identified as Atharva Dilip Nanore (14), a resident of Gawalipura and a Class 8 student of St Vincent Pallotti School, had participated as a volunteer in the Hanuman Jayanti shobhayatra on Thursday night. His body was discovered on Saturday around 4 pm. The gruesome discovery was made when locals noticed a foul smell emanating from a sack lying on the footpath of a railway bridge. Sensing something suspicious, they alerted the police. When officers reached the spot and opened the sack, they found Atharva’s body with his hands and legs tightly tied with a rope.

 

There were visible injury marks on his face and clear signs of strangulation. A senior police officer said, “The condition of the body clearly indicates that it is a case of murder. The hands and legs were tied and prima facie, death appears to have been caused by strangulation. The body was immediately sent to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for post-mortem to ascertain the exact cause and time of death. Last seen after rally while going for ice-cream ACCORDING to police investigation, Atharva was last seen at around 10.54 pm on Thursday during the Hanuman Jayanti procession. He had actively participated as a volunteer and was wearing his identity card, which was still found hanging around his neck when the body was recovered. After the rally concluded, Atharva reportedly told others that he was going to buy icecream. However, he never returned home. A police official stated,“He was present till the end of the procession.

 

His last known movement was when he left saying he would get ice-cream. After that, he went missing.” Family’s search and rising tension WHEN Atharva did not return home, his family members immediately began searching in nearby areas and contacted friends and relatives. As hours passed with no clue, they approached Gittikhadan Police Station late Thursday night and filed a complaint. The police registered a case of kidnapping, and launched searches. By Friday, with no trace of the boy, tension escalated. Angry relatives and local residents gathered at the police station and demanded action.

 

The situation turned chaotic as protesters accused the police of delay. Discovery triggers outrage, police initiate murder probe THE recovery of Atharva’s body on Saturday transformed the case from a kidnapping case into a murder investigation. Initially, Kalmeshwar Police registered a murder case, which was later transferred to Gittikhadan Police for detailed investigation, according to SP (Rural) Dr Harssh Poddar. Top police officials, including Commissioner of Police Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal, Joint CP Navinchandra Reddy, and DCP Zone II Nityanand Jha, visited the crime scene to assess the situation. A senior officer said, “We are treating this as a sensitive case. Multiple teams have been formed to investigate all possible angles.” Heavy police bandobast has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order amid growing public anger. Despite multiple teams working on the case, police have not yet made any arrests. Officials admitted that while several leads are being examined, no concrete clue has emerged, so far. 

 

Personal rivalry under scanner POLICE are currently investigating the case from multiple angles, including personal rivalry and possible disputes involving the victim’s family. Atharva’s father is a wellknown vegetable supplier in the Gittikhadan area and is also reportedly involved in property dealings. His influence among local vendors was evident as a large number of traders gathered at the police station over two days and demanded action. Investigators suspect that the crime could be linked to rivalry or enmity connected to the family. A police official revealed,“We are examining whether any business rivalry or personal dispute could have led to this murder. All angles are open at this stage.” Adding complexity to the case, police are also probing the role of a relative of the Nanore family who reportedly has a criminal background and has been previously booked under the MPDA (Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act). The man is currently untraceable. Another line of investigation involves checking whether boys from Atharva’s age group or acquaintances might be involved.