Automan arrested in multiple murder case

PUNE, Oct 15: The Sahakarnagar police today apprehended an autorickshaw driver for his suspected involvement in the murders of four teena...

PUNE, Oct 15: The Sahakarnagar police today apprehended an autorickshaw driver for his suspected involvement in the murders of four teenagers from Santnagar area in Aranyeshwar.

The autorickshaw driver was detained for interrogation when the eight youths from Aranyeshwar area, who admitted to have committed the murders after being arrested on theft charges, revealed that they used to whisk away the victims in an autorickshaw.

The eight youths 8211; Mangesh alias Mangilal Kunaji Solanki 20, Anya alias Bhagyavant Ankush Jadhav 20, Nilesh Nathuram Kamble 18, Pappya alias Santosh Gulab Patole 20, Hanumanth alias Hanya Ankush Jadhav 18, Dashrath alias Dashya Balu Devavat 18, Dada Manik Nipankrar 18, and Manik Balu Devavat 20 8211; have been remanded to police custody till October 17 in connection with the theft case.

The relatives of the dead children have filed fresh First Information Reports FIRs accusing the eight youths of murder. However, they are yet to be arrested in the murder cases. The remains of most of the victims are yet to be found.

Meanwhile, the police are baffled about how the deaths of four teenager missing since September 1996, could go undetected for two years though their relatives had filed missing persons cases immediately after the children vanished.

The fact that Gautam Bapu Kamble 15, Sunita Bansi Kasbe 15, Ashok Mohan Gaikwad 18 and Rajesh M Balvadkar 16 had been murdered between September 25, 1996 and June 22 this year came to light only when eight youths arrested on theft charged admitted to the crimes yesterday.

The disappearance of each victim had been reported to the police. The Sahakarnagar police, who filed 8220;missing person8221; cases, had searched for them for a prolonged time.

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Many persons were interrogated in each case, but the investigators had failed to find out that the 8220;missing persons8221; had been killed. The police had also failed to find out the people with whom the victims were seen last.

Meanwhile, the sensational disclosure about the murders by the eight youths has sent a shock wave in the Aranyeshwar area. A pall of gloom has descended over the area ever since the eight youths admitted to the crimes. Hoardings condemning the incidents have also been put up.