An 83‑year‑old man, Motiram Rawoji Marathe, and four other residents of Bhushi in Lonavala have been arrested in connection with the death of Abhay Manik Marathe, a grandson of the elder, amid a property dispute. Police say the arrests were made after a thorough investigation revealed evidence that the fatal shooting was not accidental.
The incident was initially reported as an accidental discharge of a licensed 12‑bore rifle while it was being cleaned at Motiram Hotel, the grandfather’s establishment near Bhushi Dam. Authorities, however, questioned the circumstances of the death. Examination of the body showed no tattooing or smoking marks around the gunshot wound, and a local crime branch found blood stains inside the hotel and on a wall near a door, suggesting the shooting took place on the premises.
During questioning, a hotel worker named Aniket Jaisingh Ghussar disclosed that the grandfather and the grandson had been arguing over a property dispute the morning of October 5. Police now suspect that Motiram Marathe shot Abhay Marathe with the rifle after the altercation.
Four others—Hiramam Motiram Marathe, Manoj Hiramam Marathe, Kavita Hiramam Marathe, and Rajshree Dashrath Pawar—are accused of helping conceal the murder and destroying evidence by removing and hiding the hotel’s CCTV cameras and digital video recorder.
All five accused have been arrested and a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act.
