A 65-year-old homeless man was brutally murdered with a stone while sleeping on a footpath near Shahbaz village in CBD Belapur early Sunday morning. The accused, identified as Abhishek Pal (35), was caught and thrashed by local residents before being handed over to the police.
According to police, the victim, Prakash Lokhande, had been living under a bridge near Shahbaz village. Around 3:30 a.m., Pal, who resides in the APMC market area, allegedly smashed Lokhande's head with a stone while he was asleep.
Alerted by the commotion, residents rushed to the spot and apprehended Pal, beating him severely. CBD police soon arrived, rescued the accused from the mob, and took him into custody. Lokhande’s body was sent for post-mortem after the initial site inspection.
A case of murder has been registered against Pal. “The exact motive behind the killing is still unclear and is under investigation,” said a police officer from CBD Belapur police station. He added that due to injuries sustained during the mob assault, the accused is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.
