Kalyan: A 30-year-old factory supervisor was hacked to death in the Mharal area near Titwala for a noble act — advising a woman he considered his sister to report the molestation of her minor daughter. The Kalyan Taluka (Titwala) police acted swiftly, arresting all three accused, including the prime suspect, within an hour of the gruesome crime.The victim, identified as Ravindra Ahire, a resident of Malkhan Compound in Mharal village, was intercepted on Friday night and brutally assaulted with sharp weapons. He suffered multiple fatal injuries and died on the spot.According to police sources, the trouble began on Thursday when a minor girl confided in her mother that she had been allegedly molested by a local driver, Deepak Dange. Seeking guidance, the distraught mother narrated the ordeal to Ahire, whom she looked up to as a brother. Ahire did what any responsible citizen would do; he strongly advised the family not to keep quiet and urged them to immediately lodge a formal complaint at the Titwala police station.When word reached Dange that Ahire was backing the survivor’s family and pushing for legal action, he was enraged. Seeking revenge, Dange allegedly hatched a conspiracy with two of his associates, Vijay Bhide and Parshuram Bhide — both drivers by profession. On Friday night, the trio cornered Ahire in the locality. Armed with sharp weapons, they killed him.Following the incident, a team from the Kalyan Taluka police rushed to the spot. Recognising the gravity of the situation and the rising public anger, the police launched a manhunt and nabbed Dange and the Bhide duo within an hour.Speaking to TOI, Mukesh Dhage, Senior Police Inspector of Kalyan Taluka (Titwala) station, said that the accused and the deceased belonged to the same neighbourhood and knew each other well. Enraged by the fact that the victim was instrumental in getting a police case filed against him, the prime accused decided to eliminate him. Dhage confirmed that all three suspects have been arrested, produced in court and remanded to police custody till May 26.The cold-blooded murder of a man who stood up for a minor’s dignity has sent shockwaves through the Mharal locality.
