Pune: A software engineer was brutally assaulted by three notorious criminals in Kothrud while trying to maneuver his bike through a crowded street. The police have arrested the accused and charged them with attempt to murder.
The victim, Devendra Purushottam Jog (33), is a BJP worker, whereas the accused belong to a known criminal gang in Kothrud. The incident occurred on Wednesday (February 19) evening.
On February 21, a Shiv Jayanti procession was passing through Bhelkenagar, Kothrud, around 2:30 PM. Jog, who had the day off, had gone shopping on his two-wheeler. While returning home, he encountered the procession and tried to pass through the crowd.
At that moment, three individuals stopped him and aggressively questioned, "Can't you ride properly?" Before he could respond, they started beating him. Jog suffered a serious nose injury due to the attack.
Despite his injuries, he reported the incident to the police, leading to the arrest of: Om Tirthram Dharmajignyasu (35), Kiran Kondiba Padwal (31), and Amol Vinayak Tapkir (35).
The police presented the accused in court on February 22, where the prosecution argued that:
The accused are notorious criminals.
They intimidate citizens, making them afraid to file complaints.
Their criminal activities need thorough investigation, requiring police custody.
However, the defense countered, stating that a simple assault should not be treated as attempted murder.
After hearing both sides, Judicial Magistrate (First Class) S.H. Wankhede ordered that the accused be remanded to police custody until February 24.
