4 held within hours for Maharashtra Sena functionary Sonu Kalyankar’s murder; 5th killing in 3 days

CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: Shiv Sena functionary Sonu Kalyankar was murdered on Monday, marking the fifth killing in Nanded city in the past three days, the police said.

The police arrested all four accused within hours of the incident, with one of them shot in the leg during a chase on the outskirts.

Kalyankar, 35, was attacked while on a morning walk sometime after 5.30am in the busy Srinagar area. The police said the accused men had been tracking his routine and intercepted him near Kumar Dresses. They stabbed him more than 17 times, causing severe blood loss. Passersby took Kalyankar to a private hospital near ITI Chowk, where he was declared dead on arrival. The police said Kalyankar had several criminal cases against him.

The latest killing followed a triple murder reported on Canal Road in the early hours of Saturday, which was a result of a gang war between two groups. Within 24 hours, another youth, Ranjitsingh Tabelewale, was killed in the Murmura Galli area on Sunday in an attack involving swords and daggers. Monday's murder gas intensified fear among residents, particularly as all recent incidents involved the use of sharp weapons in public places.

The arrested accused in the latest case have been identified as Prasad Shinde, Krishna Jogdand, Ravi Lodh and Akash, alias Ankush Gandhamwar. Acting on a tip-off, a local crime branch team tracked Gandhamwar near Zhari village. On spotting the police, he attempted to flee into nearby fields and allegedly tried to open fire, but the weapon misfired.

"As he attempted to fire again, sub-inspector Milind Sonkamble acted in self-defence and fired below the waist to protect the team and civilians," said Nanded superintendent of police Abinash Kumar. The bullet struck Gandhamwar near the knee, and he was later admitted to a govt hospital under police guard.

The police said the preliminary investigation pointed to an old dispute as the trigger. "There was a quarrel between the accused and the deceased during the Navaratra period, followed by another argument a few days ago. It appears the attack was carried out due to that grudge. However, we are also examining if there is a larger conspiracy," Kumar said.

Investigators are also probing a possible link to a 2021 firing incident in which Kalyankar survived an attack allegedly carried out by Golu Mangnale, a member of the Rinda gang, who is currently in jail.

Kalyankar recently joined Shiv Sena from BJP and had been serving as the party's city youth chief. He had sought a ticket in the recent municipal elections. Police said he had multiple criminal cases registered against him, including attempted murder and assault on a public servant.

Officials said the accused, including Gandhamwar, also had criminal records. "All four accused directly involved have been detained. If any indirect involvement or wider conspiracy is found, strict action will be taken," Kumar added.