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Pune Crime Files: Why Bombay HC quashed FIR against ex-serviceman ‘falsely implicated’ in intruder death case

In 2020, a former Army officer in Pune called the police for assistance after a man attempted to break into his home. The police, however, charged him with the intruder's death. In 2025, the Bombay High Court set aside the FIR against him.

5 min readPuneFeb 23, 2026 02:45 PM IST

The intruder was found dead in a well near the ex-serviceman's house (Image generated using AI).

Nearly six years ago, one midnight, a man was held and handed over to the police after he was spotted entering the bungalow of a 68-year-old retired Indian Army officer in Pune. But within eleven hours, the man was found dead in a well in the Mundhwa area.

About 44 days after the incident, the Pune city police lodged an FIR against the ex-Army officer for allegedly thrashing the man trying to enter his bungalow with a bamboo stick, causing his death. But the Bombay High Court quashed the FIR and slammed the police, saying the allegations made against the ex-serviceman are “untenable, baseless, absurd and inherently improbable”.

According to court records, around 12.45 am on August 20, 2020, a man entered the compound of the former Army Captain’s bungalow in the Wadgaon Sheri area of Pune city. The intruder allegedly knocked on the door of the bungalow, saying some people were following with the intention to kill him and that he should be saved.

The intruder then allegedly tried to enter the bungalow aggressively, breaking the kitchen window. The ex-serviceman allegedly resisted the intruder by pushing him away with a bamboo through the window grill.

The ex-serviceman also called his nephew for help and informed the police. Meanwhile, upon hearing the commotion, people in the area gathered at the spot. The intruder was allegedly thrashed and handed over to the police around 1.18 am on August 20. The police then took him to the Chandan Nagar police station.

The police found out that the intruder, a native of Latur district, had been taking treatment for a mental illness. As requested by the police, the ex-serviceman did not lodge a complaint against the intruder. The police decided to send him back to Latur.

Intruder found dead in well

Accordingly, when the police from Chandan Nagar police station were taking him to Hadapsar for boarding a bus to Latur, the intruder started vomiting on the way. The police left him on the Mundhwa bridge. And then, after a few hours, he was found dead in a 25-foot-deep well located nearby.

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A team from the Mundhwa police station reached the spot and took the intruder’s body to a hospital for a postmortem. As per the legal procedure, an accidental death report (ADR) was lodged at the Mundhwa police station and a probe was initiated to confirm the cause behind the incident.

According to the postmortem report, the intruder was pronounced dead around 11.45 am on August 20 due to multiple injuries, nearly eleven hours after he had tried to forcibly enter the Army ex-officer’s bungalow in Wadgaonsheri.

FIR against ex-serviceman

Still, the police lodged an FIR at the Chandan Nagar police station on October 4, 2020, against the ex-serviceman, under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), holding him responsible for the intruder’s death.

The police alleged that the intruder succumbed to internal injuries allegedly inflicted by the ex-serviceman with a bamboo stick. The police also claimed that he was getting hallucinations that someone was trying to kill him.

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The ex-serviceman filed a petition before the Bombay HC seeking quashing of the FIR against him, claiming it to be a false case. On December 24, 2025, the HC passed an order in favour of the ex-serviceman and quashed the FIR.

Court points to possibility of injuries during fall

The HC observed that the incident took place in the middle of the night. The intruder was aggressive and destructive, so the ex-serviceman has “rightly acted in self defence” and his response was “proportionate and measured”.

The HC observed that he called his nephew for help, who, in turn, informed the police. The HC pointed out that the CCTV footage shows that the assault on the deceased was made by the members of the public and the police themselves. No steps were reportedly taken against people from the mob who thrashed the deceased, it noted.

The HC also pertinently noted that after being handed over to the police, the intruder was not in contact with the ex-serviceman till his death. The order also mentioned the possibility that the intruder may have sustained injuries due to falling into the 25-foot-deep well.

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Setting aside the FIR against the ex-serviceman, the HC stated that he had been “falsely implicated by the police in attempting to cover up their own lapses and abdication of duty”.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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