In a shocking development, the body of 14-year-old Atharva, who had gone missing during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in Gittikhadan, was found stuffed in a sack near Bharatwada Bridge under Kalmeshwar police station limits on Saturday around 3:30 pm. The gruesome discovery has sparked panic and tension in Gittikhadan.
Atharva Dilip Nanore, a resident near Mahore Petrol Pump in Gittikhadan, had joined a Hanuman Jayanti procession on Thursday, April 2, at around 5:30 pm. After the procession returned to the locality late at night, he suddenly went missing. His family lodged a complaint at Gittikhadan Police Station, following which a kidnapping case was registered and a search operation was launched.
CCTV footage showed Atharva on a tableau until around 11:10 pm, after which he disappeared.
Tension gripped the Gittikhadan Square area following the news of Atharva’s murder. To maintain law and order, heavy police deployment was carried out in the area. For the past two days, local residents had been staging road blockades, demanding the search and safe return of the missing boy. On Saturday, even after confirmation of his death, citizens continued their protest, sitting on the road and causing a major traffic jam on the busy route.
Police diverted traffic, allowing vehicles to move from one side of the divider. Local traders also kept their establishments shut in response to the situation. The atmosphere remained tense throughout the day. Police Commissioner Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal and MLA Vikas Thakre visited the spot and attempted to pacify the protesters, but the crowd refused to disperse. Eventually, police resorted to mild force to remove the demonstrators from the road, after which traffic movement was restored.
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