Mumbai Crime: 23-year-old sailor stabbed to death by friend for teasing him

A bit of banter and jest between friends cost a man his life on Saturday. A 32-year-old man was arrested by the Malwani police for allegedly killing him.

According to police, the accused Rajesh Wagate, a delivery boy, stabbed Nityanand Mane, 23, a sailor in the merchant navy, who had come home for holiday. His body was discovered around 200 metres from Wagate's house.

Police said late on Saturday night, Mane, Wagate and two of their friends were at Marve beach drinking and joking about each other. Mane started laughing saying once several women had slapped Wagate, but he did nothing. As everyone laughed at him, Wagate felt embarrassed and angry, and left for his house near Malwani church. But Mane and the other two followed him and started harassing him again, said a police official.

Stabs Mane with knife

In a fit of rage, Wagate took a knife and attacked them. While two of them escaped, Mane got stabbed in his chest. But he managed to run away. Police said his mother called him just then, and he told her that Wagate had attacked him with a knife. She immediately called police. Malwani police began to look for Mane. His body was found in the wee hours of Sunday beside the bushes near Hanuman Mandir near Malwani Church, a police official added.

Calls police to confess

Police said while they were looking for Mane, Wagate called the control room and confessed to having stabbed him under the influence of alcohol. Wagate was booked under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing the disappearance of evidence) of IPC and remanded in police custody.

"Further investigation is on," said senior inspector Deepak Patangare of Malwani police station.

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