Pune businessman's murder: Police custody for seven accused

 A court today remanded in police custody till July 21 the seven persons arrested in connection with the sensational murder of businessman Datta Phuge, known as ‘goldman’ for wearing a shirt made of the precious metal.

Dighi police produced nine persons in Khadaki court and magistrate J C Dhengale remanded seven of them in police custody. Two were sent in judicial custody as their identification parade was yet to be done.

Amol Pathare, Shailesh Walke, Vishal Parkhe, Nivrutti Walke, Prem Dholpuria, Atul Mohite and Sushant Pawar were remanded in police custody, said the investigating officer Navnath Ghogare.

According to the police, at least twelve persons attacked Phuge with sharp weapons on an open ground in Dighi near here on late Thursday night and killed him on the spot in front of his 22-year-old son, Shubham.

Phuge shot to fame some years ago when he gifted himself a gold shirt worth over Rs one crore and wore it in public, earning himself the sobriquet ‘goldman’.

During the arguments, prosecutor Kishor Shahane demanded a 14-day police custody. The police had to find out the main conspirator and the exact motive, Shahane told the court.

Police suspect that a monetary dispute led to the murder, as Phuge was in the business of money lending and chit-fund.

Shahane also told the court that police wanted to recover the weapons used by the accused and the clothes they were wearing at the time of the incident.

“The accused are not cooperating and giving vague answers,” the prosecutor said, adding that some of the accused who were on the run were also to be traced.

B A Aloor, one of the defence lawyers, argued that police had seized the weapons from the spot and the main conspirator too had been arrested, so there was no need for police remand.