Ex-gangrape accused stabs man to death over unpaid pandal dues

Nagpur: A man working under a decorator was brutally stabbed to death by a former gangrape accused following a dispute over unpaid dues for hiring pandal equipment during last week's Mahashivratri celebrations. The incident occurred on Thursday night in the Indira Mata Mandir area, where the victim, Rohit Tiwari (26), was attacked by the accused, Akash Bhandari, who remains absconding. According to sources, Bhandari, named in a 2021 gang rape case registered at MIDC police station, had taken pandal equipment from Tiwari, who worked for decorator Nilesh Kalambe, on the promise of paying later. Even after a week, Bhandari had not cleared the dues, leading to repeated arguments between him and Tiwari. Police stated that shortly before the attack, the two had a heated argument over the phone. Soon after, Bhandari arrived at Kalambe's shop-cum-residence, where Tiwari was standing. Accompanied by a few associates, Bhandari pinned Tiwari down during a scuffle and stabbed him near the chest before fleeing. The injured Tiwari was rushed to Lata Mangeshkar Hospital in Hingna, where he succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Friday. MIDC police initially registered the case as an attempt to murder but later upgraded it to murder after Tiwari's death. Despite the incident occurring over 24 hours ago, Bhandari and his accomplices remain at large, raising questions over the police's efforts to apprehend them. Sources revealed that preventive action was taken against Bhandari in October last year, but he continued to dominate the area as a feared local goon.