THANE: One person was killed and another was severely injured as an argument over a cricket match escalated into a violent fight on Wednesday afternoon in Thane. The police have identified the deceased as Rohan More, 26, and the injured person as Amit Kir, 27, both sanitation workers.
According to the police, around 3pm on Wednesday, 14-year-old Hans Gohil was found crying on the streets, complaining that he had been beaten up by Vishnu Chavan, a sanitation worker in the area. Gohil said he had been assaulted while playing cricket at the Gaondevi Maidan in Thane West.
When Hans recounted the matter to his uncle and his friends including More and Kir, the group headed straight to the maidan to confront Chavan. As the confrontation escalated and the group began hurling abuses at one another, Chavan’s cousin Rohit Panesa too joined the argument and the duo began assaulting Gohil’s uncle and his friends using stumps. During the fight, Chavan attacked Kir with a knife, injuring his wrist.
Seeing that Chavan was furious, all but More, who was held by Chavan, fled the spot. Chavan then stabbed More’s leg several times with a knife, shouting, “Kisi ko nahi chhodunga.” (I will not spare anyone.)
The group soon informed the police about the attack and rushed Kir to the Thane Civil Hospital where he was admitted for treatment. Once the police reached the spot, they immediately took More to the hospital, but doctors declared him dead at 5:45pm.
The police said that both the accused and the victims are sanitation workers, and no previous criminal records have been found against them. The police added that no prior enmity existed between the two parties.
Abhay Mahajan, senior police inspector of the Naupada police station, told HT, “We have arrested the two accused under various sections related to murder and illegal possession of arms under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Arms Act, and Maharashtra Police Act. The accused have been remanded to police custody till February 9. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the motive behind the crime.”