Ichalkaranji priest hacked to death near Nipani; Babusaheb Magdum held over inter-caste marriage

A priest from Ichalkaranji was brutally murdered at Manakapur in Nipani taluka. Sadalga police solved the case within a few hours and arrested the accused. The crime has caused a major stir in the Kolhapur and Nipani areas.

The victim has been identified as Mandar Ajit Ranade, 35, who worked as a priest in Ichalkaranji. According to police, the accused, Babusaheb alias Deepak Anna Magdum, is a resident of Shiradwad. A girl related to him left home on January 13, 2026 and married a boy from another caste. Ranade had arranged the marriage. Babusaheb harboured bitter anger over this and, in that anger, planned to remove Ranade from his path.

On October 31, Babusaheb phoned Ranade from a different number and said another marriage match had to be fixed. On this pretext he called Ranade from Ichalkaranji to the outskirts of Manakapur in Nipani taluka. As soon as Ranade reached the appointed spot, Babusaheb suddenly threw chilli powder in his eyes. Ranade had no chance to defend himself. Taking advantage of this, the accused struck repeatedly at his neck and throat with a sickle. Ranade died on the spot.

Kedar Chandrakant Kulkarni of Ichalkaranji filed a complaint at Sadalga police station.

Given the gravity of the crime, a special investigation team was formed under the guidance of District Superintendent of Police Ramarajan and Deputy Superintendent of Police Gopalakrishna Gaudar. Chikkodi Circle Police Inspector Vishwanath Chougula, Sadalga police station Sub-Inspector Basagouda Nerli and their team began the investigation immediately and took the suspect, Babusaheb Magdum, into custody. On intense questioning, he confessed that he had committed the murder out of anger over Ranade's help in the marriage. Police have also seized the sickle used in the crime.