City police have solved the brutal murder of 14-year-old Atharva Dilip Nanore, a resident of Gawalipura in the Gittikhadan area, on Monday. The investigation has revealed a cold-blooded plan by his own friend and two others to kidnap him for ransom. When the plan failed, the accused killed the minor and tried to destroy all evidence. Three accused - Jai Ramgopal Yadav (19), a resident near Gawalipura, is the prime accused whose father runs a vegetable shop; Ketan alias Kunal Ramesh Shahu (22), a resident of Kutubshah Nagar, Gittikhadan, is an electrician; and Ayush Mohan Shahu (19), a resident of Plot No. 49, Eros Society, Gorewada, who owns two mini trucks. They have been arrested early Monday morning after they spilled the beans. Police officials said, the crime was planned over 15 days and executed on night of Hanuman Jayanti. “This is a very disturbing case where greed led to a brutal crime. The main accused was a close friend of the victim, which made it easier to execute the plan,” a police officer said. 

 

According to police, Jai Yadav is the prime accused. He is a college student and his father runs Contd on a vegetable shop. Jai and Atharva were friends and Jai had visited Atharva’s house several times. “During his visits, Jai came to know that Atharva’s father had good money and was constructing a building. Atharva had even shown him the building plan. This information triggered the idea of kidnapping for ransom,” the officer said. Jai first shared the plan with Kunal Shahu, an electrician from Kutubshah Nagar. “Jai convinced Kunal by promising a big share of money. They decided to demand around Rs 40 to Rs 50 lakh from Atharva’s family,” police said. Later, Jai involved Ayush Shahu, who owns two mini trucks used for transport services. “Around 15 days before the crime, Jai asked Ayush for a vehicle, saying he needed it for some work. Ayush agreed and later, became part of the conspiracy,” an officer added. 

 

The trio planned to commit the crime during Hanuman Jayanti, as there would be a large procession and crowd. “They knew Atharva would attend the procession, and it would be easy to take him away without raising suspicion,” police said. On the morning of the incident day, the three accused met at a tea stall known as Kadak Chaiwala. “They finalised their plan and roles there. Jai would bring Atharva, Ayush would drive the vehicle and Kunal would assist,” police said. CCTV footage later confirmed that Atharva was last seen with Jai at around 9.54 pm. “This was a crucial clue. The footage clearly showed Atharva leaving with Jai during the procession,” the officer said. During the Hanuman Jayanti procession, Jai stayed close to Atharva and was even seen dancing with him. “He maintained normal behaviour to avoid suspicion,” police added. At around 10 pm, Jai told Atharva that they needed to go somewhere to bring a vehicle. Trusting his friend, Atharva agreed and followed him. Jai took Atharva near a link road, where the mini truck was waiting. Inside the vehicle were Kunal and Ayush. “Ayush was driving, while Kunal was sitting in the middle. Jai and Atharva sat at the back. The victim did not suspect anything as he knew Jai well,” police said. 

 

 

The vehicle then moved across several locations - from the TV Tower area to Seminary Hills, then Katol Naka, Pagalkhana Chowk, Bokhara Road, and finally, towards a secluded area near Kolara Lake. “They chose a remote location to carry out the kidnapping and later, demand ransom,” the officer said. At around 11 pm, the vehicle stopped near Kolara Lake. Jai and Ayush got down from the vehicle. “The accused had brought rat poison spray with them. They planned to make Atharva unconscious using it,” police revealed. They sprayed the poison on a black scarf and tried to cover Atharva’s face. However, the plan failed. “The poison did not make him unconscious. Instead, Atharva started shouting and screaming for help,” the officer said. “In fear of being caught, they strangled Atharva using the same scarf. It was a sudden and brutal act,” police said. After killing him, they tied his hands and legs using pieces of the scarf. “The body was then placed inside the mini truck. The accused drove back towards Gittikhadan and parked the vehicle near Ayush’s house,” police said. Surprisingly, after committing the crime, the accused went home and slept. “This shows their lack of fear and seriousness. They behaved as if nothing had happened,” an officer remarked. The key of the vehicle remained with Jai. The next morning, on April 3, at around 8 am, Jai and Kunal went to Ayush’s house. “They took the mini truck again to dispose of the body,” police said. 

 

They collected sacks from Jai’s father’s vegetable shop. “The body was placed inside these sacks to hide it,” the officer added. The accused then drove towards different areas, searching for a suitable place to dump the body. “They first went towards the Dinshaw factory side, then Mohpa Road, but could not find a safe spot. Finally, they moved towards the Bharatwada bypass area,” police said. At around 10.30 am, they dumped the body in a deserted area. After dumping the body, the accused tried to erase all evidence. “They washed the mini truck with water to remove any blood stains or traces. This was a clear attempt to destroy evidence,” police said. The vehicle was then parked again near Ayush’s house. Later in the day, Jai and Kunal were seen at a tea shop named Chai Chaska till around 4 pm. “They were moving freely in the area, trying to appear normal,” an officer said. Police said, the case was challenging at first, but strong teamwork and technical evidence helped crack it. “It was difficult initially as there were no direct witnesses. However, CCTV footage and technical analysis played a key role,” an officer said. The footage showing Atharva leaving with Jai became the turning point. “We then tracked the movement of the accused through various cameras installed across the city,” police said. Call records and local intelligence also helped in identifying the involvement of Kunal and Ayush. “All three accused have been taken into custody. A team has been sent to seize the vehicle used in the crime,” police confirmed. Police are now focusing on collecting scientific evidence. “We are conducting forensic examination (FSL) of the vehicle and other materials. This will help strengthen the case in court,” an officer said. 

 

 

Officials also confirmed that the accused had tried to use a new mobile phone and SIM card to avoid tracking. “They had planned to use a new number for ransom calls, but the murder happened before they could execute that part of the plan,” police added. “They planned to demand Rs 40 to Rs 50 lakh ransom and divide it among themselves. Each accused was expecting around Rs 15 lakh,” police said. However, the plan collapsed due to panic during execution. The investigation is still ongoing. “We are verifying all aspects, including the exact route taken by the accused and any other possible involvement,” police said. More CCTV footage is being collected, and further forensic analysis is underway. 

 

 

Atharva treated Jai like an elder brother and called him “Bhaiya”. Their families knew each other for years, and Jai often visited their home. After Atharva went missing, Jai joined the search and even stood with the family while filing the police complaint. Later, his role in the crime came to light. Atharva’s father, Dilip Nanore, said they had helped Jai’s family many times, even giving them a loan. 

 

After Atharva Nanore went missing during the Hanuman Jayanti procession in Gittikhadan, locals held protests for two days. Shockingly, the main accused, Jai Yadav, also joined these protests. On the day of the event, Jai was seen with Atharva. After the boy went missing, people held ‘Rasta Roko’ and ‘Chakka Jam’ protests, where Jai was also present. CCTV footage later confirmed that Jai was with Atharva. When first questioned, Jai said, he had left Atharva midway. But later, he gave a different statement, which raised suspicion. Police kept a watch on him and later arrested him. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime. The court has sent all three accused to police custody till April 10. Besides teams of Gittikhadan Police, the Crime Branch formed 12 special teams for the investigation. 

 

CCTV footage from Sunday night showed Jai with Atharva, which became a key clue for police. During questioning, Jai kept changing his story. Sometimes, he blamed Vinny, and at other times, Irfan. Police questioned both, but found they had no link to the crime. Call Detail Records (CDR) later showed Jai was in regular contact with Ayush and Kunal. Police then questioned all three separately. Jai continued to give different statements to mislead the investigation. When Ayush and Kunal were brought in front of him, he realised the truth was out. Even then, he showed no emotion. Police said, he remained calm and did not break down during the entire interrogation process.