The Rabale police have arrested four men who allegedly killed their friend while ringing in the new year. On Thursday night, Santosh Gaikwad (25), Shankar Gaikwad (23), Rohit Jumade (22), and Akash Gaikwad (20), who lived in the same locality and worked as drivers, were were partying and drinking alcohol with their friend Sachin Patil (35). According to the police, Patil was in charge of maintenance of a garden in a private company.
At 1.45 a.m. on Friday, Akash went to relieve himself near the compound wall of a house and Patil objected to this. “A quarrel broke out and the other friends joined Akash in beating up Patil,” senior police inspector Nitin Gite said. Patil sustained head and abdominal injuries, and internal bleeding. His wife and another friend rushed him to hospital, where he was declared dead. Initially, an accidental death case was filed.
