Police in Sangli say a 16-year-old admitted to killing education society director Sanjay Paranjape after being reprimanded. The boy was sent to a juvenile home, while the family urged deeper investigation into motives.
Sangli police announced on Sunday that they had solved the case of Sanjay Prabhakar Paranjape’s death, detaining a 16-year-old boy who admitted to killing the education society director on March 18.
Inspector Siddheshwar Jangam of Palus police said the boy had just written his final Standard X exam paper earlier that day. Later, Paranjape reprimanded him for jumping over the society’s gate, a shortcut the teenager often used. The boy confessed that he pushed Paranjape against a wall, causing a head injury, before stabbing him with a sharp object out of fear the incident would be reported.
Paranjape’s son discovered his father’s body around 8.30pm in a compartment under the staircase of their apartment. The family had been waiting for dinner when he went looking. CCTV footage from nearby cameras helped police identify the boy, who lived close to the apartment.
Family questions motive behind killing
According to police, the boy hid the body and took Paranjape’s ring and cellphone. He was later transferred to a juvenile reform home by the Juvenile Justice Board.
Paranjape’s family, however, expressed doubts about the explanation. They told investigators that the deceased was calm and never hurt anyone, even verbally. They argued that anger over being scolded for trespassing seemed too superficial a motive and urged police to explore all possible angles.
Paranjape, aged 60, was not only the director of an education society in Palus but also a registered private money lender. His elder brother Uday serves as chairman of the society, which runs a school in the town.
Inspector Jangam explained that the confrontation occurred when Paranjape returned from a temple and saw the boy jumping the gate. After being pushed and injured, Paranjape was fatally attacked. The boy admitted he feared exposure and acted impulsively.
The incident shocked the local community, given Paranjape’s standing in education and his reputation for being composed. Police emphasized that the investigation would continue, taking into account the family’s concerns about deeper motives.
Authorities confirmed that the boy’s detention and transfer to a juvenile home followed due process under the Juvenile Justice Act. The police assured that all aspects of the case would be examined thoroughly, including the possibility of motives beyond the immediate scolding.
