An 83-year-old man and four others have been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of his grandson in Lonavala in Maharashtra’s Pune district, with police suspecting that a property dispute may have been behind the killing. The deceased, identified as Abhay Manik Marathe, was initially reported to have died after a licensed rifle allegedly went off accidentally while it was being cleaned at his grandfather’s hotel near Bhushi Dam. However, police became suspicious of the circumstances surrounding the death and subsequently launched a detailed investigation. The arrested accused include Abhay’s grandfather, Motiram Rawoji Marathe, who is 83, as well as four other people. Police said the investigation later pointed towards the possibility that Abhay had been shot inside the hotel rather than being killed in an accidental discharge.

The incident came to light after Abhay was reported dead following what was initially described as an accidental firing involving a licensed rifle at Motiram Hotel, located near Bhushi Dam in Lonavala. The weapon was allegedly being cleaned when it went off, resulting in the fatal shooting. While the initial explanation suggested an accidental death, investigators did not accept the circumstances at face value. Police examined the nature of the gunshot injury and the surrounding circumstances as part of their inquiry. During the examination of Abhay’s body, investigators found that there were no tattooing or smoking marks around the gunshot wound, according to police. The finding raised questions about the reported circumstances of the shooting and prompted investigators to examine whether the rifle had actually been fired from the position described in the initial account.

The local crime branch subsequently inspected Motiram Hotel in the Bhushi area of Maval tehsil as part of the investigation. During the inspection, officers reportedly found blood stains at two locations inside the hotel. Police also found blood splattered on a wall near a door at a height of about five feet from the ground. The physical evidence led investigators to suspect that Abhay may have been shot inside the hotel and that the circumstances surrounding his death had been presented differently. The discovery of blood at multiple locations became an important part of the investigation as officers attempted to reconstruct what happened inside the premises before Abhay’s death. Police continued examining the scene and questioning people connected with the incident as they sought to establish the sequence of events.

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During questioning, hotel worker Aniket Jaisingh Ghussar allegedly told police that Abhay and his grandfather Motiram had been involved in a property dispute for several days. The statement provided investigators with a possible motive for the killing and led them to examine the relationship between the two family members and the circumstances surrounding the dispute. Police are investigating whether the disagreement over property was directly connected to the shooting. The property dispute is currently being treated as an alleged motive in the case, and investigators are examining the statements of the arrested accused and other people who may have information about the events leading up to Abhay’s death.

The arrests followed the investigation by the local crime branch, which began looking beyond the initial explanation of an accidental rifle discharge. Police are examining the physical evidence recovered from Motiram Hotel along with the statements obtained during questioning. The absence of tattooing or smoking marks around the gunshot wound and the blood evidence found inside the hotel were among the circumstances that prompted investigators to question whether the death was accidental. The alleged property dispute has further shaped the direction of the investigation. Police are expected to establish the individual roles of the five arrested people and determine how the shooting allegedly took place.

The case has therefore shifted from an initial report of an accidental shooting to an alleged murder investigation involving five arrests, including the victim’s 83-year-old grandfather. Police have not only questioned the account surrounding the rifle but have also examined the hotel premises for evidence that could establish where and how the fatal shooting occurred. The blood stains and splatter discovered inside the property, together with the findings from the examination of Abhay’s gunshot wound and the alleged property dispute, have formed key elements of the investigation so far. Further details about the exact sequence of events, the alleged roles of the five accused and the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting are expected to emerge as the police investigation progresses.

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