Engineering student arrested for cab driver’s murder in Maharashtra, claims 'self-defence'

THANE: Thane Rural Crime Branch team have arrested a 21-year-old engineering student for the alleged murder of a cab driver whose body was found in a remote area of Ahilyanagar district after he had gone missing for four days.

The accused, identified as Adarsh Chandrakant Bhalerao, was apprehended from Titwala following an investigation by the Thane Rural Crime Branch.


The deceased, Nasir Ahmed, a resident of Navi Mumbai, had been reported missing earlier this week. A complaint regarding his disappearance had been registered at Rabale Police Station.

According to police, Ahmed's body was discovered on Saturday in the jurisdiction of Otur Police Station near Malshej Ghat. His car was later found abandoned in a forested area at Govili village along the Kalyan–Murbad road under the limits of Kalyan Taluka Police Station. Police said the vehicle had several blood stains inside, indicating a violent assault.

Investigators said the accused, originally from Ghansoli and currently residing in Titwala, is a second-year electrical engineering student.

On March 5, he had allegedly booked a cab through a ride-hailing app to travel to Junnar in Ahilyanagar district, from where he planned to take a bus to Pune to meet a friend.

Assistant police inspector Bhausaheb Gaikwad said that during questioning, the accused claimed that when the car reached near Otur, the driver allegedly threatened him with a knife and attempted to rob him. The accused told police that he attacked Ahmed in self-defence during the scuffle, and by mistake it led to the driver's death.

Police said that after the incident, the accused allegedly dumped the body near the spot and drove the vehicle to Titwala before abandoning it and fleeing.

During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage along the vehicle's route as well as footage from petrol pumps. Investigators were able to identify a passenger seen travelling in the vehicle. Using the images, police traced the suspect and arrested him Saturday late night.

Meanwhile, Ahmed's family has expressed anger over the incident and demanded strict action against those responsible for his death. According to Ahmed's brother, Ahmed had called mother on March 5 informing her that he was heading to Pune with a passenger. When the family lost contact with him afterwards, they approached the police and filed a missing person complaint.

Police said further investigation is underway to establish the exact sequence of events and verify the accused's claims.