Pune businessman Rana Suryavanshi attack: police probe whether three friends hired the assailants

Pune, October 24, 2026: The investigation into the attack on businessman Rana Suryavanshi, owner of Rana Ping Corporation, may take a new turn. Police are looking into whether three of his close friends gave a contract to the attackers to kill him.

Narayan Pawar, police inspector of Baramati taluka, said the three friends were with Suryavanshi after the attack. They were also present when he was taken to hospital for treatment. Police are now examining the movements of the three and the possibility that they were involved in the conspiracy.

Two people have been arrested so far. One is Parth Vasudev Avasthale (19), a native of Pimpri Gavali in Khamgaon, Buldhana, who currently lives in Karvenagar, Pune. The other is Dnyandev Mahadev Shinde (50), a native of Veet in Karmala, Solapur, who currently lives in Bhigwan.

According to police, those arrested are Shinde, Suryavanshi's driver, and Avasthale, the alleged attacker. Officials said Shinde had given the attackers Rs 2 lakh.

The investigation has found that the three friends allegedly met at a roadside eatery near Daund, where the attackers were offered a contract worth Rs 2 lakh. They were travelling in a Defender SUV at the time. This vehicle is said to have been seen near Suryavanshi on the day of the attack.

Police are going through CCTV footage to establish whether the three were part of the conspiracy. Their activities after the attack are also being watched, including their presence with Suryavanshi at a hospital in Pune.

Photographs and videos of the three with Suryavanshi have surfaced on social media. Police are checking whether they met the attackers, whether they got the contract fixed, and whether the same vehicle was used at several locations.

Inspector Pawar said the three friends have not been taken into custody yet, but the inquiry into the possibility of their involvement continues.