Journalism of Courage
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A Judicial magistrate on Saturday sent seven suspects in the alleged murder of ‘gold man of Pune’ Datta Phuge to seven days police custody. The police have arrested a total of nine suspects so far of which two were sent to judicial custody.
Late Friday night, the police arrested the alleged masterminds of the crime, Atul Amrut Mohite (25), Shaukat Attar (24), Sushant Pawar (20) and Tushar Jadhav (20), all residents of Bharatmata Nagar, Dighi.
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Senior police investigator NK Ghogre of Dighi police station told the court that the arrested suspects were not cooperating with the investigators and hence their custodial interrogation was required. The police said that the deceased was operating the Vakratunda Chit Fund Company. Many local persons had invested money in it and he had given loans to some people at a high rate of interest. The police said Phuge was also involved in several financial disputes.
“We need to investigate if there was any other motive behind the suspects committing the murder other than the financial one,” said Ghogre.
On Thursday night, the assailants called Phuge to a birthday party in Dighi, where they laid a trap to murder him. Shubham Phuge and Pathare know each other as the latter was associated with the chit fund. So Shubham informed his father about the birthday party. Meanwhile, the suspect, Atul Mohite had also invited Dattatray for the celebration. After reaching there, Shubham found his father being bludgeoned by the group, ultimately to his death.
