The deceased was identified as Bansidhar Govind Panigrahi alias Rajesh Govind Pardeshi (23), a resident living near Dandekar bridge. The Swargate police had found his body in a partially-burnt condition at the canal side near P L Deshpande Park on January 15. Police identified the body as that of Pardeshi. They then nabbed Pardeshi's jail mates, Ganesh Manohar Hole (27), Yogesh Chandrakant Dharmadhakari (24) and his brother Rohan (22), all residents near Dandekar bridge. The trio was held when they were travelling triple seat on a stolen two-wheeler at Rajendra Nagar on Friday late evening. During sustained interrogation, the trio confessed to murdering Pardeshi because he had developed sexual relationship with Hole's wife after release from jail, police said.

It was learnt that Pardeshi, Hole and other two were serving punishment together at Yerwada Central Prison for separate crimes. Hole and Dharmadhikaris were released in December 2007, while Pardeshi was released much earlier. Police said Pardeshi used to accompany Hole's wife when went to jail to meet her husband. During these visits, both developed close relation. When Hole came to know aboutit, he and his two associates decided to eliminate Pardeshi.

Around 11 pm of January 14, they took Pardeshi for a party at the canal side and offered him liquor. They then attacked him with sharp weapons and strangled him with a wire. They wrapped his body in a bedsheet and set it on fire after pouring petrol. The body however did not burn completely, which provided a clue to the police.