Pune murder horror: Man kills friend after drinking session; dumps severed legs in garbage

A sack of human remains abandoned in a roadside garbage heap in Pune led police to a grisly murder, in which a man allegedly bludgeoned his friend to death before severing his legs and disposing of them separately.

The shocking incident came to light in the city's Pimple Gurav area on Friday after civic workers stumbled upon two human legs stuffed inside a plastic sack at a garbage dump on Shrinagar Lane No. 3.

They immediately alerted the police, setting off an investigation that eventually led to the arrest of the alleged killer.

Police identified the accused as Pintya alias Vishnu Tanaji Kumbhar. The victim, Anil Khade, had been staying with Kumbhar, police said on Saturday.

According to Senior Inspector Jitendra Koli of Sangvi police station, the discovery of the severed legs initially posed a challenge for investigators trying to establish the victim's identity.

However, a seemingly insignificant piece of evidence found inside the sack proved crucial.

Police recovered the backing of a SIM card bearing a mobile phone number from the plastic bag. Investigators traced the number to a contractor, who disclosed that he had issued the SIM card to his employee, Khade.

When police contacted Khade's wife and son, they learnt that he had been living separately from his family for the past two years.

A photograph of Khade stored on his son's mobile phone subsequently helped investigators establish that the recovered remains belonged to him, the official said.

The investigation then shifted towards Kumbhar, with whom Khade had been residing.

When police reached Kumbhar's house, they noticed a strong foul smell emanating from inside.

The premises were locked, so officers broke open the lock. Inside, they discovered Khade's decomposing body, with both legs severed and a severe injury to his head. Police subsequently traced Kumbhar and took him into custody.

During the investigation, police learnt that both men were habitual drinkers. On Friday, the two were reportedly consuming alcohol together when an argument broke out between them.

The altercation allegedly turned fatal when Kumbhar picked up a baseball bat and struck Khade on the head, killing him, Koli said.

In an attempt to dispose of the body, the accused allegedly used a sickle to sever Khade's legs before stuffing them into a plastic sack and abandoning them at the roadside garbage heap.

The discovery by civic workers ultimately unravelled the crime, with investigators piecing together the victim's identity through the SIM card clue and tracing the alleged murder back to the man he had been living with.