Police suspect an internal feud between society office-bearers as the cause of the killing. Chaudhuri reportedly had a heated argument with the society secretary Pravin Sontakke, who is absconding, before he was found dead in front of the latter's room by a chowkidar and a peon.

Ashok Chaudhari (45), the eldest son of former Mayor, the late Sakharam Chaudhari, represented Nawabpura ward in the civic body between 1992 and 1997. He was associated with the Asha Education Society -- headed by Congress legislator Satish Chaturvedi -- as treasurer and was also a physical education teacher with the Pitale Shashtri School.

Police said, Chaudhari had visited Sontakke at the latter's house on the third-floor of the school building on Monday, where an altercation prevailed betweenthe two over some internal society matter which went on for almost two hours. Moments later, Chaudhari's body bearing stab-wounds on the head and throat was found. The room and its surroundings were found to be in a state of disarray.

The school had remained closed on Monday due to heavy rains and some staffers had brought to the notice of the head mistress the noise of a quarrel on the third floor. When the chowkidar went upstairs to check he came across the body, sources said.

Sontakke, whose wife had left him along with her children only a fortnight back following a domestic quarrel, was missing.

Senior police officials including Assistant Commissioner of Police K B Dogra and Rana Pratap Nagar Police Inspector Krishna Savde, his Dhantoli counterpart Ramesh Pawade and Crime Branch Inspector S P Chavan visited the scene of the crime.

An offence of murder has been registered by the Pratap Nagar police.