Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, November 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Police have arrested 16 accused, including the main accused, in connection with the murder of Rohit Pathare, who died after sustaining injuries during an altercation between two groups at the Ganeshotsav 2026 immersion procession in Vaijapur. A juvenile in conflict with the law has also been detained.
Pathare died on November 3 while undergoing treatment. Police have registered a case at Vaijapur police station under Crime No. 701/2026, invoking several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Considering the seriousness of the case, Superintendent of Police Prakash Jadhav ordered the deployment of five teams from the Local Crime Branch and Vaijapur police station to trace the accused. The teams worked under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Aparajita Agnihotri.
Using confidential information and technical analysis, investigators identified suspects allegedly hiding in other districts. Six more accused were arrested on November 9. They have been identified as Avinash alias Aniket Popat Hond, Dnyaneshwar Sitaram Wadalkar, Pratik Kailash Salunke, Rohit Machhindra Aher, Sanket Adinath Aher and Tushar Adinath Aher. All six are residents of Vaijapur.
Earlier, eight accused had been arrested in the murder case, while two others were held in connection with a separate case registered as Crime No. 698/2026 at Vaijapur police station. Police said the total number of arrests across the two cases has reached 16, excluding the detained juvenile.
The operation was conducted under the guidance of senior police officers, including SP Prakash Jadhav and Additional SP Aparajita Agnihotri. Police teams are continuing efforts to trace the remaining absconding accused.
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