A gang-war style clash occurred at the Z Bridge in Pune late on Tuesday night, in which a group of youths assaulted a young man with a koyta (machete) over an old rivalry.
The arrested accused have been identified as Harshad Shirke, Nikhil Jagtap, Mukund Shirke and Abhishek Thorat.
The victim sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Vishrambaug Police Station and has been captured on CCTV.
The CCTV footage shows two young men riding a bike. Realising they were being chased, they stopped near the Z Bridge. At that moment, five to six assailants on motorcycles attacked them with koytas. Although the duo attempted to flee, other attackers lying in wait nearby caught up with them and assaulted them again.
The assailants not only targeted the youths but also vandalised their vehicle using koytas. The entire attack has been clearly captured on CCTV, which shows some attackers chasing the victims while others were already waiting at the spot, indicating the assault was pre-planned.
Santosh Pandhare, Senior Police Inspector, speaking to The Free Press Journal, said that as per preliminary information, the dispute arose over the installation of a Ganesh Mandal banner. "We have arrested the accused and the matter is under investigation. Accordingly, action will be taken," he said. "Upon receiving information, Vishrambaug Police rushed to the spot. A case has been registered against five to six unidentified assailants, and police are actively searching for the suspects based on the CCTV footage," he added.
