Man kills friend over money during picnic near Khadavli river in Thane; held

KALYAN: A 40-year-old man has been arrested by Kalyan Taluka police for allegedly murdering his friend during a picnic outing near the Khadavli river and dumping the body in a secluded area, police said.

The accused, identified as Yogesh Eknath Rane, was arrested and produced before a Kalyan court, which remanded him to police custody till May 2.

According to investigators, the victim, identified as Raju Prabhulkar, had gone to the Khadavli river along with Rane on April 20. The spot is frequented by locals for bathing and summer picnics.

Police said that after bathing, Rane had handed over his money to Prabhulkar for safekeeping while they washed their clothes. However, when Rane later asked for his money back, Prabhulkar allegedly refused and attempted to leave, leading to a heated argument between the two.

In a fit of rage, Rane allegedly picked up a stone and repeatedly struck Prabhulkar on the head, killing him on the spot. To destroy evidence, he later transported the body and dumped it in a remote area within the limits of Ju village in Khadavli.

The case came to light after locals spotted the body and alerted police. Kalyan Taluka police registered a murder case and launched an investigation. Mukesh Dhage, senior police inspector of Kalyan Taluka police station said, "Despite having no immediate leads, our team relied on CCTV footage and technical surveillance to trace the accused's movements. Rane was eventually tracked to the Parel–Nagpada area in Mumbai, from where he was apprehended".

Police said the accused is a native of Waklghar in Shrivardhan taluka and has previous serious offences registered against him at Raigad’s Dighi coastal and Navghar police stations.Further investigation is underway.