22-year-old beaten in Viman Nagar firecracker row dies; murder charge added

A 22-year-old man who was allegedly beaten up by a group of youths after a quarrel over bursting firecrackers in Viman Nagar, Pune, died on Thursday during treatment at Sassoon General Hospital.

The deceased has been identified as Aman Sameer Shaikh (22), a resident of Kalwad Vasti on Lohegaon Road. According to police, the incident took place at around 9.30 pm on November 8 on Kyra Road in Viman Nagar, outside Rose Garden Society.

Police said Aman was bursting firecrackers outside the society with his friends. Another group of four youths was also bursting firecrackers a short distance away. When some firecrackers fell near Aman and his friends, Aman asked the group to burst them a little farther away.

An argument began over this. The accused then allegedly approached Aman and his friends, told them to leave and asked whether they lived there. The accused abused them, and when Aman objected, they allegedly attacked him with kicks and punches.

The attackers then allegedly picked up a wooden bamboo lying by the roadside and struck Aman repeatedly on the head, back, hands and face, leaving him seriously injured. When his friends tried to intervene, they were allegedly pushed and abused. The attackers then fled the spot.

Aman's friends first took him to a private hospital and later got him admitted to Sassoon General Hospital. Doctors operated on him, but his condition did not improve. He died on Thursday afternoon.

The case was initially registered against 11 people on a charge of attempt to murder. After Aman's death, Airport police have added the charge of murder. Four accused have been arrested. A minor allegedly involved in the attack has been taken into custody. A case is registered against the remaining six accused, and the search for them continues.

The arrested accused have been identified as Ram Nagnath Navle (19), Samyak Sandeep Salvi (18), Tejas Umakant Shinde (20) and Aditya Siddheshwar Gaikwad (18).

Investigating officer Police Sub-Inspector Nitin Rathod said, "The spot remains dark and there is no CCTV camera nearby. Four accused have been arrested and the murder charge has been added in the case. The search for the remaining accused is on."