Fruit trader, accomplice arrested for stabbing vendor’s brother over Rs 20K dispute in Pune

PUNE: A 34-year-old fruit trader and his accomplice were arrested on Wednesday on the charge of stabbing brother of his former vendor over a dispute of Rs20,000.

The Kalewadi police identified the deceased as Hashim Raeen of Vijaynagar in Kalewadi, hailing from Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh. The vendor, Arbaz Raeen (22), suffered a deep cut on his face in the attack on Tuesday night in Kalewadi.


The police arrested Saddam Raeen (34) and Mohammed Sharif Khan (30), both of Kapse Chawl of Vijaynagar and hailing from Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh, under sections 103 (murder), 109 (attempt to murder), and 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Sub-inspector Balaji Mete of the Kalewadi police said the complainant's family ran fruit stalls in different areas of Pimpri Chinchwad. They used to purchase fruit from the accused. "Recently, they stopped the purchase after a dispute over payments. The accused was pursuing the complainant's cousin to recover Rs20,000," Mete said.

The officer said the complainant and one of his cousins were returning home after dinner around 11.15pm on Tuesday. At this point, the accused and his accomplice stopped them and started abusing the complainant's cousin for not paying Rs 20,000. "When the complainant tried to intervene, the accused beat both of them up," the officer said.

Mete said hearing the commotion near their home, Hashim Raeen and other members of his family came out to rescue the complainant. "The accused assaulted the complainant on his face. Hashim Raeen rushed to his brother's help. The accused held him by his hands, and his accomplice stabbed him," Mete said.

The complainant and others took him to a nearby hospital, where the doctors pronounced him dead. "Our investigations are on," the officer said.