Tragic incident: 4 Tourists From Pune Kill Homestay Owner’s Sister After Being Denied Room; 3 Arrested, Main Accuse on the Run
Tragic incident: 4 Tourists From Pune Kill Homestay Owner’s Sister After Being Denied Room; 3 Arrested, Main Accuse on the Run
In a tragic incident at Harihareshwar, four inebriated tourists from Pune approached Abhijeet Dhamanaskar, the owner of a homestay, around 12:30 AM, on 20th October, requesting a room. After being denied accommodation, the group began assaulting Dhamanaskar. When he raised an alarm, nearby villagers and relatives came to his aid, managing to capture one of the men, identified as Irappa Yamanappa Dhotre, a resident of Kasarwadi in Pimpri Chinchwad. However, the other three fled.
Around 1:30 AM, the three men returned in their vehicle, threatening to run over the villagers if they did not release their friend.
However, the other three men managed to flee the scene in their Scorpio SUV. About an hour later, at approximately 1:30 AM, the group returned to retrieve their associate. Upon arrival, they issued threats to the gathered villagers, warning them to release their friend or face the consequences. In a shocking act of violence, the driver of the SUV, identified as Uttekar, ran over Jyoti Dhamanaskar, Abhijeet’s sister, who was attempting to stop the vehicle. Jyoti, 28 years old, worked as a cook at the homestay and tragically died on the spot.
Following the incident, all four men fled the scene. Using technical evidence, police from Shrivardhan, led by Inspector Uttam Rikame, arrested three of the accused Dhotre, Akash Govind Gawde (26), and Vicky Premsingh Gill (30) while the main accused, identified as Uttekar, who was driving the vehicle, remains at large. Police have formed teams to track him down.
The arrested men, two of whom worked as auto drivers while one ran a small business, will be produced before the court.
The tragedy has left a deep scar on the village of Harihareshwar, which is a revered religious destination known as South Kashi. Villagers were appalled by the reckless behavior of the tourists, who not only disrespected the local hospitality but also resorted to deadly violence over a room. The three arrested men will be presented in court on Monday, and efforts to bring Uttekar to justice are ongoing.
The police are investigating the exact sequence of events and gathering more evidence to strengthen the case. Meanwhile, the Dhamanaskar family and the villagers are mourning the loss of Jyoti, whose life was cut short in a senseless act of violence.
