Nagpur: A 25-year-old school van driver hacked his live-in partner’s father to death at Divya Nagar in Godhni in the early hours of Friday. This is the fourth murder in the city in the last five days.The city police crime branch has arrested the accused, Rohit Gautam. The victim, Mehtab Singh Chowdhury, 55, was a native of Seoni in Madhya Pradesh and worked as a mason.Police said Mehtab opposed his daughter Pallavi’s relationship with Rohit. A couple of years ago, Mehtab married her off to another man in Madhya Pradesh against her wishes.Pallavi, who has a son from her first marriage, allegedly suffered domestic abuse from her alcoholic husband. She eloped with Rohit and started staying together in the city. She is now six months pregnant with Rohit’s child, police said .Mehtab Singh pressured Pallavi to return to her husband. She went to MP but returned to Nagpur after 15 days, as her husband allegedly thrashed her. But Mehtab insisted Pallavi leave Rohit and reunite with her son and husband.As per police, Mehtab’s behaviour irked Rohit, who then planned the murder. He consumed liquor throughout Friday. Later, around 2 am, Rohit allegedly entered Mehtab’s home from the rear side by jumping over the boundary wall.Mehtab was sleeping outdoors. Rohit allegedly struck him repeatedly on the head and near the ear with an axe, killing him on the spot. Rohit then fled to a nearby nullah, changed his blood-soaked clothes, discarded the axe and clothes in water and wore other clothes before returning to his home, said police.Mankapur police and the Crime Branch rushed to the spot after Mehtab’s family spotted him lying in a pool of blood.CCTV footage secured by senior inspector Vinayak Golhe of crime branch from an under-construction building near Mehtab’s home showed a man passing through the lane shortly after 2 am Mehtab Singh’s son Karan identified the person as Rohit.Rohit was picked up and reportedly confessed to committing the murder after sustained interrogation by Crime Branch officers, including DCP Detection Deepak Aggrawalr.A case of murder has been registered at Mankapur Police Station. Police are checking if he has any prior criminal record.
