Ex-dy sarpanch abducted, police arrest 2 who confess to have murdered him

A deputy sarpanch operating as a contractor was allegedly abducted and suspected to have been murdered for a ransom of ₹2 crores, police officials said on Saturday.    

The Pune rural police have arrested two associates of criminal Babu Bhame, the prime accused in the abduction and the suspected murder of Vitthal Polekar (65), a former deputy sarpanch of Donje village. Polekar had been missing since he went for a morning walk around 6 am on Thursday. 

The case took a grim turn on Sunday when villagers at Ausade village reported spotting dismembered body parts in the dam waters. The police are yet to confirm whether the remains belong to Polekar, with DNA analysis pending.  

According to Pune superintendent of police (rural) Pankaj Deshmukh, the police had earlier lodged a case of abduction, and a murder section will be added soon even as the body parts recovered by police were sent for DNA test. 

As Polekar did not return home on Thursday, his family lodged a complaint at Haveli police station, alleging that he was abducted and murdered following demands for ransom of ₹2 crores by Bhame, a known offender with multiple cases registered against him. The police, however, believe a previous enmity may have motivated the crime and are investigating multiple angles. 

Deshmukh confirmed the arrest of two individuals associated with Bhame. “We have arrested Shubham Popat Sonawane and Milind Devdas Thorat from Jabalpur. They confessed to their involvement in Polekar’s killing,” he said, adding that the suspects were planning to flee to Nepal. 

Earlier, on November 15, the police had arrested Rohit Kisan Bhame for Polekar’s kidnapping. He was remanded to police custody until November 17 and is currently being interrogated for leads on the whereabouts of the main accused, Babu Bhame. 

The arrests were made with assistance from the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Jabalpur, Deshmukh said.  

“We cannot confirm at this point that the body found belongs to Polekar. Only DNA tests can establish the identity of the remains recovered,” he added. 

Haveli Police Station in-charge PI Sachin Wangade explained the extensive efforts to trace the perpetrators. “We analysed CCTV footage to track the vehicle used to transport the victim from Donje to Panshet. Dog squads and multiple police teams have been deployed to locate and apprehend all those involved,” he said. 

According to PI Wangade, the names of the arrested suspects emerged during inquiries with acquaintances of Bhame.  

“The police also conducted searches at various hotels, lodges, and farmhouses in the Haveli area. The accused were eventually traced through their mobile phone locations by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) squad, which travelled to Nashik and Jabalpur to apprehend them,” Wangade added. 

The case has been registered under BNS section 140(2). Polekar’s alleged murder, marked by its brutality, has shocked the community, prompting intensified law enforcement activity in the region.