 "Man shot dead by friends after mistaking him for prey during hunting trip in Maharashtra's Palghar")
synopsis
A hunting trip in Palghar's Manor forest turned tragic when a 60-year-old man, Ramesh Vartha, was accidentally shot dead by one of his companions, Sagar Hadal, who mistook him for prey.
A tragic hunting trip in Palghar's Manor forest ended in the death of a man who was accidentally shot by one of his 12 companions, who mistook him for prey. The incident occurred on January 29 but remained undiscovered until the victim's wife filed a missing person report with Manor police on Monday. This led to the arrest of nine of the men involved, while the police were still searching for the remaining three suspects.
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According to Manor police, the group of 12 men from Borsheti village had gone into the forest on January 28 around 3:30 p.m. to hunt wild animals. They invited Ramesh Vartha (60) to join them the following morning, which he agreed to do.
On January 29, Ramesh ventured into the forest around 6 am to join his friends. Unaware of Ramesh's approach, Sagar Hadal, a 28-year-old resident of Kelva, mistakenly fired his homemade rifle, believing an animal was heading towards the group.
Tragically, the bullet struck Ramesh, causing instantaneous death. Overcome with fear and guilt, the group hastily concealed the body in nearby underbrush and fled back to their village. Ramesh's disappearance sparked concern, and five days later, his worried wife, Amita, 55, reported him missing to the authorities on Monday.
During investigation, police questioned nine of the villagers who had gone on the Jan 28 hunt — Hadal, Siddhu Bhutkade (52), Bhavesh Bhutkade (28), Eknath Bhutkade (42), Shantaram Bhutkade (65), Vishal Gharat (31), Madhya Vavre (49), Vaman Parhad (65), and Dinesh Vadhali (42), all residents of Borsheti — and they allegedly confessed to the crime.
Authorities retrieved Ramesh's body from the forest and filed a complaint against the 12 individuals, charging them with culpable homicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The body has been sent for autopsy, according to police officials.
As per a police source, the arrested individuals were habitual hunters, frequently venturing into Palghar's forested areas to illegally hunt wildlife such as wild boars, rabbits, and deer. Typically, they would set traps near water sources, exploiting the fact that animals often gather at these locations.
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