Ahmedabad: A 30-year-old man, with a history of criminal offences, was arrested hours after he fatally stabbed another man in Ramol late on Friday.
The victim, Rajesh Rathod, who was riding a two-wheeler with his friend Bharat Maru, when the accused individual, Akshay Patel, allegedly rushed at them with a knife and stabbed Rathod in the leg. Rathod was rushed to Civil Hospital but succumbed to his injuries on the way. The Ramol police registered a murder complaint at 12.45am on Saturday. Following a tip-off, the local crime branch (Zone V) arrested Patel within hours.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (I-Division) Krunal Desai said, “Patel was a repeat offender, with a record of cases involving bodily harm, property-related crimes and violations under the Prohibition Act. Patel had previously been detained under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities (PASA) Act on three occasions.” Following his arrest, he was handed over to the Ramol police for further investigation.
The complaint filed by Maru sheds light on the tragic sequence of events. Maru told police that he befriended Rathod, an electrician, over five years ago and had often called him for electric work at his factory. On Friday, he asked Rathod to come with him for some work. The duo visited Maru’s factory in Parshwanath Estate and then stopped to collect marketing posters.
Maru told police, “On our way back to the factory, we encountered Patel standing on the road near RK Estate. He has a habit of stopping vehicles and threatening commuters. I reduced my speed but did not stop the vehicle. Patel rushed at us with a knife. Startled, I braked abruptly, causing the two-wheeler to topple.”
Maru said that while he managed to flee and seek shelter in a nearby shop and downed the shutter, Rathod, unable to escape, was attacked. “Patel stabbed him in the leg, leaving him bleeding profusely. When I emerged from hiding, I found Rathod slumped on the roadside. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Rathod died en route,” he told police.
