Pune: In a landmark judgment, seven individuals have been sentenced to life imprisonment for their involvement in the brutal murder of two men over a land dispute in Chakan.
The Rajgurunagar Additional District and Sessions Court, under Judge A.S. Syed, delivered the sentence in a case that has lingered for over 14 years.
The convicted individuals were found guilty of abducting and killing Pandharinath Sadashiv Parkhi (60) and his nephew, Chandrakant alias Pappu Dnyanoba Parkhi (37), using wooden sticks and stones.
The incident took place on July 11, 2009, in the limits of Pimpri Khurd village, near Chakan. It was the culmination of a longstanding land dispute between the Parkhi and Thakar families, both from Man village in Mulshi taluka.
Chandrakant had purchased 73 gunthas of land, which he intended to sell to the late accused Rohidas Thakar through a sales agreement. However, when Thakar failed to complete the deal within the stipulated timeframe, the matter escalated into a legal battle, with the Pune court ruling in favor of the Parkhi family. The ruling enraged the Thakar family, who then plotted their deadly revenge.
On the fateful day, the victims, Pandharinath and Chandrakant, had visited the livestock market in Chakan along with one of the accused, Raghunath Parkhi. Investigations later revealed that Raghunath had orchestrated the murder plot.
After concluding their business at the market, the victims stopped at a relative’s house on the Chakan-Rohkal road. Unbeknownst to them, the other accused were lying in wait nearby. As the two men left the house, they were ambushed, forcibly abducted, and taken to a remote wasteland near Pimpri Khurd. There, the accused brutally attacked them with wooden sticks and stones, killing both on the spot.
The murder went unnoticed at first as the accused destroyed evidence in an attempt to conceal their crime. It wasn’t until Pandharinath’s son, Sandeep Parkhi, filed a police complaint that investigations began.
The case was initially handled by Senior Police Inspector Suresh Ghadge of Chakan Police, before being transferred to the CID. Inspector Dipali Ghadge completed the investigation and filed the chargesheet, leading to the trial.
During the trial, Special Public Prosecutor Vikas Sawant presented the case, with 20 witnesses providing crucial testimony. The court found the accused guilty of murder, abduction, and conspiracy.
Judge Syed sentenced the seven accused to life imprisonment, along with a fine of ₹2,000 each. Additionally, they were sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and conspiracy. One of the original nine accused, Rohidas Thakar, had passed away before the verdict was delivered.