CBD Belapur police arrest second accused in stone-killing case after CCTV trail

CBD Belapur police with the arrested duo, seen kneeling after being nabbed in the Akash Rathod murder case. Pic/Abhitash Singh

In a swift breakthrough, the CBD Belapur police on April 28 arrested the second accused in the Belapur murder case. The victim, Akash Prakash Rathod, 31, from Gujarat's Navsari, was found dead on April 17 near the NMMC Headquarters under the bridge at CBD Belapur with his head smashed by a stone. At the time, he had no mobile phone or identity documents, leaving investigators with no starting point.

Trail built

A police officer said, "The case was initially a challenge due to the absence of eyewitnesses and any immediate clues." Teams began scanning CCTV footage from the surrounding area, eventually analysing feeds from over 60 cameras to trace the victim's last movements. The footage, coupled with ground-level inquiries among daily-wage workers, helped police identify Rathod and the two men last seen with him.

Duo held

Subhash Dhurve, 27, was arrested in Mumbai on April 24 after being tracked to a group of labourers sleeping near Cotton Green station. The second accused, Arvind Sakpal, 35, was nabbed from Pune's Gultekdi Market Yard on April 28, where he had blended in as a daily-wage worker.

Investigators said the duo lacked phones and fixed addresses, making the manhunt tougher and heavily dependent on informers.

During questioning, the duo allegedly confessed that the murder was triggered by a trivial argument over food during a drinking session on the night of April 16. The fight escalated, and the accused allegedly killed Rathod by attacking him with a stone before fleeing.

"Sustained fieldwork, CCTV analysis, and local intelligence helped us crack the case," said Amit Kale, DCP, Zone II.