Daijiworld Media Network - Kalyan
Kalyan, Oct 19: A minor road accident escalated into a murder in Wadawali village in Kalyan in the early hours of Sunday, with a 31-year-old app-based taxi driver allegedly stabbed to death following an argument with three scooter-borne persons. Khadakpada police have arrested all three accused, including a husband and wife.
The deceased has been identified as Raj Madvi. According to police, the incident occurred around 1 am on Sunday when Madvi, while returning home after work, allegedly brushed his car against a scooter near the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation's A ward office.
The incident triggered a verbal altercation between Madvi and the three persons on the scooter. Although the taxi driver initially stopped his vehicle, he later drove a short distance ahead. The trio allegedly pursued him and forced him to stop again.
During the second confrontation, one of the accused, identified as Vaibhav Bhoir, allegedly pulled out a sharp weapon and stabbed Madvi at least three times. The victim sustained serious injuries to his back, leg and thigh.
The accused allegedly fled the scene, leaving the injured driver behind. As the incident occurred in an isolated area, no eyewitnesses were present during the attack. Madvi died at the spot due to excessive blood loss before medical assistance could reach him, police said.
The other accused have been identified as Vaibhav's wife, Renuka Bhoir, and their friend, Saurabh Yadav. All three are reportedly aged between 25 and 30.
Following information about the incident, Khadakpada police rushed to the spot and called a forensic team to examine the scene. The body was subsequently shifted to a local hospital after completion of the necessary procedures.
Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Khedkar of Khadakpada police station said police teams worked together to trace the accused using CCTV footage and local information. The three were arrested from their residence in Wadawali village.
The preliminary investigation has indicated that Madvi and the accused did not know each other and had no previous enmity. Police suspect that the murder was triggered by anger over the minor road accident.
A murder case has been registered against all three accused, and police are investigating the precise role played by each of them. A local court has remanded them to police custody until October 21.
Police are also verifying whether the accused have any previous criminal records and investigating the circumstances under which a sharp weapon was carried and used during an argument over a road accident.
The incident follows other cases of violence linked to disputes in Maharashtra. In June, a clash between two groups over a road accident in Vitthalwadi in Kalyan East reportedly left a pharmacist injured by a country-made firearm. In April, a 63-year-old man, Naresh Waghela, died following an alleged assault over a parking dispute near Dadar TT bridge in Mumbai.