Nagpur: Panic gripped the Reshimbagh Square area, one of Nagpur’s sensitive zones, late Tuesday night after an exiled criminal, Piyush Bele, along with five accomplices, unleashed a spree of violence. The group vandalized a pan stall, shattered the windows of an auto-rickshaw and a car, and fled the scene, leaving residents in shock and fear.
According to reports, the incident stemmed from an old rivalry. The group first targeted an auto belonging to Devendra Belekare, damaging it severely. A short distance away, they smashed the windows of a car owned by Vicky Bandate. The mob then proceeded to “Smoke Dose”, a pan kiosk run by Shravan Nayak, and ransacked it. Fortunately, Nayak had closed the stall and left for home, preventing a potential escalation of the incident.
Upon hearing the commotion, Nayak returned to the scene with local residents, but the accused managed to flee by then. It has come to light that Piyush Bele had previously set fire to the same stall a year ago, causing significant damage. That incident was also reported to the police.
Sources suggest that the recent act of violence was a retaliatory strike for that earlier complaint filed by Nayak. Disturbingly, this entire episode occurred in a high-security zone, raising questions about police vigilance and response.
Nagpur Police have taken swift action by detaining four suspects, including one minor. However, the main accused, Piyush Bele, remains at large. A manhunt has been launched to track him down.