Maharashtra: Two held for killing 23-year-old man, dumping body in Palghar

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The police have arrested two men in connection with the murder of a 23-year-old man whose body was found in a decomposed state in the bushes along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Maharashtra's Palghar district, an official said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI.

The police arrested two accused, both aged 30, on Sunday and are on the lookout for a juvenile involved in the crime that occurred on November 8, the official said, reported PTI.

A body was found in a severely decomposed state in the bushes near Bafna bridge on the highway on November 22. Following a probe, the victim was identified as Lavesh Ramesh Mali, a resident of Kaman, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madan Ballal said, reported PTI.

A case of murder was registered and during the probe, it was found that the victim was reported missing on November 8, he said, reported PTI.

Investigations have revealed that the victim was a drug addict and on the day of the incident, he had taken an autorickshaw belonging to one of the accused and rammed it into a dumper truck, the official said, reported PTI.

Later that night, three accused and a fourth person who was present at the scene consumed drugs with the victim, bludgeoned him to death with a stone and dumped his body at an isolated place, he said, reported PTI.

In another case, police have registered a case of murder after the body of a man was found on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Maharashtra's Palghar district, an official said on Saturday, reported PTI.

The body was discovered on the carriageway on November 22 within the limits of the Bapane village, he said, reported PTI.

While the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police initially registered an accidental death case, they upgraded it with section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code on Friday after receiving the autopsy report of the man, aged around 25 years, the official said, reported PTI.

Efforts are on to identify the man as well as those behind his murder, he added, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested a man from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the rape of a nine-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Palghar district, an official said on Monday, reported PTI.

The Palghar police on Saturday apprehended the 23-year-old accused with the help of the local special task force in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, senior inspector Pramod Badakh said, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)