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.