The 22-year-old victim had gone to the Godrej ground at Currey Road to save his friend, who had gotten into a fight with the group; the teen cricketer Ankit Naik stabbed him in the chest
A 22-year-old man was stabbed to death at Currey Road by three teenagers, after they allegedly consumed drugs, on Saturday afternoon. Two of the accused are minors, while one is an aspiring cricketer from a city college. The murder was reported to the Kalachowkie police station, who are on the lookout for the trio.
According to the police, the victim, Pritam Sonar, had gone to the Godrej ground at Currey Road after hearing that his friend had been involved in a fight. Local residents said Ankit Naik (19), a cricketer, and group of teenage friends were consuming drugs near the ground when Sonar’s friend Amit Loke happened to pass by. Loke got into an argument with the trio in course of which Naik slapped Loke.
An infuriated Loke fetched his friend Harshal Dalvi (30) to the spot and a fight ensued. Sunil Chavan, a local resident, recalled, “Dalvi and Naik started fighting and the cricketer removed a chopper knife and stabbed the former behind his head. At the same time, Sonar, on hearing his friend had gotten into a fight, rushed to the spot. Naik then stabbed Sonar in the chest. All the three escaped.”
Locals then took the injured to KEM Hospital, where Sonar was declared dead on arrival. Residents said Sonar was the sole breadwinner of his family, and worked with a private hospital. He is survived by his mother and a younger brother and sister. Dalvi, meanwhile, has been injured seriously and is in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.
Druggie haven?
People staying in the area are outraged over the menace of drug addicts and alcoholics at the ground. They say several complaints have been made to the authorities, but no action has been taken to rid the premises of the problem. Chavan added, “This is regular thing now. We residents, especially women, have to face lot of problems. The druggies have been a nuisance several times in the past.
Another resident Sumit Panchal added, “Last month, these addicts attempted murdering someone. Women don’t move out alone here.” A police officer from Kalachowkie police station said, “Naik and his friends, of which two are 17-year-olds, are all are still at large.
Naik is a student of a popular college near Matunga Gymkhana. They even took the weapon of crime with them. We have registered a case under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and are searching for them. We have the addresses of all the accused; we hope to arrest them soon.”
