77-year-old attacked by ‘drunk’ youths for money dies, family donates his organs

Police have also arrested a teenager and detained three minor boys who allegedly attacked Samir and two others at the Parihar Chowk in Aundh around 5.15 am on Thursday.

The arrested accused has been identified as Jay Sunil Ghengat (19), a resident of the Kasturba Gandhi Vasahat in Aundh. He was produced before a magistrate court in Pune on Friday.

Prosecution lawyer V C Muralikar said his custodial interrogation was required for tracing two more youngsters who were allegedly involved in the crime, recovering the weapon and vehicles used for commission of the offence.

Police also submitted before the court that the accused persons had consumed liquor while committing the crime. Police said a probe was on to know from where they had purchased the liquor.

Judicial Magistrate (First Class) A S Shinde remanded Ghengat to police custody till June 18. Meanwhile, the three minors held in this case were shifted to the observation home as per orders of the juvenile justice board, police said.

Police inspector Yuvraj Nandre said one of the minor accused was arrested in the past also in an attempt to murder case. Prima-facie, police suspect the accused wanted money to buy more liquor and hence they attacked the victims. A probe is on to know whether they committed similar offences in the past.

Meanwhile, sources said that police have moved an application before the JJB for trying one of the minor accused in this case as an adult.

The police said victim Samir was out for a morning walk. Around 5.15 pm, the accused persons intercepted him near the tennis court in Parihar Chowk. They allegedly demanded money from him. When he refused, they allegedly attacked him, striking him on the head with a hard object, leaving him seriously injured. Police said he was initially admitted to the Medipoint hospital in Aundh and later shifted to Jupiter hospital. But he could not recover and was pronounced dead on Friday night, police said.

Dr Rajendra Patankar, CEO, Jupiter Hospital, said that Samir was declared brain dead on Friday morning. “His family made a remarkable decision to donate his organs,” said Patankar.

Samir had reportedly retired from the Tata Motors Company. His liver and eyes were donated.

Meanwhile, police said the assailants had also attacked another person, a cyclist Shreyas Satish Shetty (30), a resident of Ashwini Society in Khadki, who was passing through Aundh area.

The accused allegedly also tried to snatch money from his pocket. When he resisted, one of them attacked Shetty with an iron rod. Shetty’s hand was injured in the incident. He later lodged an FIR at Chaturshringi police station under sections 397, 307, 341 of the Indian Penal Code.

The assailants also attacked Ramsobitkumar Mandal (39) with an iron rod for money. A security guard at a construction site in Parihar Chowk area, Mandal too was injured and was provided treatment at a hospital.

During the investigation, police arrested Ghengat and nabbed three minors. Police inspector Yuvraj Nandre, said one of the minor accused was arrested in the past also in an attempt to murder case.

Prima-facie, police suspect the accused wanted money for buying more liquor and hence they attacked the victims. A probe is on to know whether they committed similar offences in the past.

Meanwhile, after receiving information about Samir’s death from the hospital, the police initiated the process to invoke sections 302 (murder), 396 (dacoity with murder) of IPC a senior police officer said.