Body of 25-year-old found in car near Pune's Saras Baug; friend who owns it questioned

The probe into the death of 25-year-old Shubhrat Bansode, whose body was found inside a car in Pune's Saras Baug area, has taken a new turn. Police are examining his last conversations and his movements before he went missing. Avinash Gaikwad, the owner of the car and a friend of the deceased, is being questioned. Police want to know what happened in the hours before Bansode disappeared.

Bansode was a resident of Kavdi village in Loni Kalbhor. His body was found on the morning of Friday, October 30, in a car parked outside the Dadawadi Jain temple. A passer-by had informed police of a strong stench coming from the car. According to local residents, the vehicle had been parked at the same spot for two to three days.

When police opened the car, Bansode's body was lying on a seat. A forensic team examined the vehicle, and the body was sent to Sassoon General Hospital for postmortem. The initial examination found no external injury on the body. The actual cause of death has not yet emerged and is awaited.

Police are now piecing together Bansode's last known movements. Around noon on October 26, he went to Hadapsar Gadital, where he was to deliver food to his father, who drives an autorickshaw. Bansode then told his family he was going home, but he did not reach home.

Investigators have also learnt of a meeting near Hadapsar village at about 9.30 pm that night, with his friend Avinash Parashuram Gaikwad. At this meeting, Bansode reportedly told Avinash that he was going to an unfamiliar place. He also said the friend should send him money only when he called later. Bansode then transferred Rs 100 to the friend.

Shortly afterwards, Bansode's phone went off. When he did not return, his family began searching for him. On October 28, his brother finally approached Hadapsar police and filed a missing person complaint. The brother suspected that Bansode may have been abducted.

The car in which the body was found belongs to Avinash Parashuram Gaikwad, a friend of Bansode. Police contacted Gaikwad and are questioning him in connection with the probe. According to preliminary information, Bansode had taken the car from him.

Police are trying to establish when and how the car reached the Saras Baug area, who was with Bansode, and what caused his death. Senior Police Inspector Yashwant Nikam is conducting further investigation into the case.