Pune: The Hadapsar police arrested a man on Saturday (October 12) in connection with the murder of a 24-year-old youth, Imran Yaseen Patel, whose body was discovered tied up in a box and discarded near a canal in the Hingne Mala area.

The suspect, Nizamuddin Patel (30), was taken into custody following the investigation, which revealed that the murder stemmed from a financial dispute between the two men.

The body was found on Friday (October 11) evening when local residents noticed a suspicious box discarded near the canal. Upon opening it, they discovered the bound body of a young man and immediately alerted the police. A team led by Police Deputy Commissioner R. Raja and Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashwini Rakh rushed to the scene to investigate.

Police quickly began efforts to identify the victim, cross-referencing missing persons reports from the city. Imran Patel had been reported missing from the Kondhwa area, and his family later confirmed that the body was indeed his.

According to police, the accused Nizamuddin had called Imran to meet him the evening before the murder. A heated argument over money led Nizamuddin to strike Imran with a metal object, killing him on the spot.

In an attempt to destroy evidence, Nizamuddin tied Imran’s hands and feet, placed the body in a box, and discarded it near the canal. He then fled the scene. A police team, including Senior Inspector Santosh Pandhare and other officers, arrested the accused following the investigation.