A birthday party in Navi Mumbai’s Digha area turned into a night of horror when five men, drunk and seething over an old dispute, allegedly murdered their friend in a savage, booze-fuelled attack on April 13. Police have arrested the accused in connection with the incident.
The victim, Sonraj Suresh Shinde, 30, had joined the group to celebrate a birthday. But what started as a friendly gathering quickly spiralled out of control as alcohol kicked in and tempers flared over a lingering house construction dispute. In a fit of rage, the accused allegedly turned on Shinde, beating him mercilessly before smashing his head with a stone. The brutal assault left him dead on the spot.
Sonraj Suresh Shinde, the victim
Accused arrested
Acting swiftly, Rabale MIDC Police launched a late-night manhunt and arrested all five accused within 12 hours of the crime. The arrested have been identified as Kunal alias Ghanshyam Chaudhary, Kunal Rathod, Vaibhav More, Mahindra Narayanakar, and Akash Lad.
A murder case has been registered, and the accused are in police custody until April 18. Investigators are also probing whether others were present during the incident and if they played any role in the deadly assault.
Police speak
Sunil Waghmare, Senior Police Inspector of the Rabale MIDC police station said,
“An argument broke out during the party over a past issue. All the accused were under the influence of alcohol, and the situation escalated rapidly”. Police sources said the violence was extreme, pointing to deep-rooted tension between the victim and the accused. “We are investigating whether this was a spur-of-the-moment attack or had elements of prior planning,” Waghmare added.
