Kalyan: A history-sheeter who was out on bail in a murder case was allegedly stabbed to death by a group of assailants in Kalyan (E) in the early hours of Thursday, while his girlfriend, accompanying him, sustained minor injuries after she tried to intervene.The deceased was identified as Arjun Kalpande alias ‘Pendya Bhai’, a resident of Adivali in Kalyan (E). Police said he suffered around 12 to 13 stab wounds and was declared dead before treatment could begin at a hospital.According to police, Kalpande was with a woman acquaintance in the Adivali area around midnight when Avinash Jha, Gaurav alias ‘Bombay’, and four other unidentified associates allegedly intercepted them. The attackers allegedly assaulted Kalpande with sharp weapons following an old rivalry. When the woman attempted to save him, she too was attacked, suffering minor injuries.Preliminary investigation suggests that the attack may have been a fallout of an earlier dispute between Kalpande and the two main accused, Jha and Bombay. Police said there was an altercation between them four days before the incident, and investigators are probing whether the murder was an act of retaliation.Kalpande was an accused in the Sandeep Rathod murder case in Kalyan (E) one and a half years ago and had recently secured bail. His family members told police that his marriage had been fixed and was scheduled to take place in the next four months with his girlfriend.Based on the complaint, Manpada police have registered a murder case against Jha, Bombay and four other unidentified associates. All the accused are absconding.Dombivli ACP Suhas Hemade said special teams have been formed to trace the accused and that investigators are examining all possible angles to ascertain the exact motive behind the murder.
