Pune: The police have registered a case of murder against five men for allegedly kicking, punching, and beating a 19-year-old youth to death near Canal Road in Wanowrie around 3am on Wednesday.The victim has been identified as Rupesh Shinde from Moshi in Pimpri Chinchwad. Police said the assault occurred when the accused thought that Shinde and his friend, Ajay Tingre (20), had come to the spot to steal pigeons. They also admitted the victim to a hospital after the thrashing and attempted to pass off his injuries as a road accident, said the police.Deputy commissioner of police (zone V) Rajlaxmi Shivankar said, “Our team is probing the case. We have identified the five men who attacked and killed Shinde. A case of murder has been registered against them at Wanowrie police station.”She added, “Shinde was a construction worker and used to assist his father at construction sites. Tingre said he and Shinde were riding a motorcycle and returning to Pimpri Chinchwad in the night when they stopped near some pigeon cages to relieve themselves. At this moment, the five men charged at them, suspecting that they were thieves attempting to steal pigeons.”According to the DCP: “Shinde tried to run but fell on the road. The five men caught him and beat him severely. They also assaulted him with a wooden bat. When Shinde lost consciousness, the accused took him to a hospital and admitted him. However, they attempted to pass off the incident as a road accident. The nature of the injuries, however, revealed that he had been assaulted, following which we registered a case of murder against the five men.“
