The situation at Warje Malwadi was tense after Warje police station and police chowky were stoned by a mob and three PMPML buses damaged on Sunday afternoon. The mob alleged that the police killed Amol Raghunath Kuchekar (28), a resident of Surbhi colony in Warje, as they suspected him of being a thief. Four passengers, a bus driver and conductor were injured in the incident.

Around 200 people gathered in front of Warje police station on Sunday afternoon when Amol was being brought to Warje from Sassoon General Hospital. Residents of Tejovalay Society in Warje had caught Amol red handed on Friday night while he was attempting a theft in one of the flats in the society. Police officials said that local resident’s first beat up Amol and then handed him over to Warje police.

Police officials then took Amol to his residence and seized two digital cameras from there. Thereafter, police took him to police station, where he started vomiting. He was taken to Sassoon General Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival on early Saturday morning.

On Sunday afternoon, Amol’s relatives took the body from Sassoon hospital to Warje to perform the final rites.

As the procession, comprising of about 250 people, were heading for the final rites, a few people in the procession threw stones at the police chowky and police station. The mob even hurled abuses at the policemen.The Police attempted to drive away the mob but failed. Finally, the mob stopped three PMPML buses on the road and stoned them. In the incident, a bus driver Vinod Shinde, bus conductor Sudhakar Jagtap and Suman Dhapse, a passenger, sustained injuries. Sharad Shelar superintendent of police, state CID and Dnyaneshwar Dhokale deputy superintendent of police, state CID are investigating the case. Dhokale said that the CID on Sunday had obtained death reports of Amol.

He said that the report states that Amol died due to multiple injuries – internal and external, the injuries were caused by the blunt weapon/s and there was bleeding. Deputy commissioner of police (Zone I) Raghunath Khaire said that sub inspector R R Shelke was suspended on Sunday for neglecting injuries of Amol, when local residents had handed over him to the police authorities.