Kalyan: A minor road accident in Kalyan’s Vadavali village turned fatal early on Sunday after a 31-year-old app-based cab driver was allegedly stabbed to death following an argument with three people travelling on a scooter, including a husband and wife. The Khadakpada police have arrested all three accused in connection with the murder.The deceased has been identified as Raj Madvi. According to police, Madvi was returning home after work when his car allegedly brushed a scooter near the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation’s A Ward office around 1 am. What began as a minor dispute over the accident soon escalated into a violent confrontation.The accused have been identified as Vaibhav Bhoir, his wife Renuka Bhoir and their friend Saurabh Yadav. All three are aged between 25 and 30 years.Police said Madvi initially stopped after the collision, following which both sides exchanged heated words. He then drove a few metres ahead, but the trio, who were allegedly travelling triple-seat on the scooter, chased him and forced him to stop.During the second confrontation, Vaibhav allegedly pulled out a sharp weapon and stabbed Madvi at least three times, causing injuries to his back, leg and thigh. The accused then fled the spot, leaving the injured driver behind.The incident occurred on an isolated stretch, and there were no immediate witnesses to the attack. Due to the lack of timely medical assistance, Madvi succumbed to excessive blood loss at the spot, police said.After receiving information about the incident, the Khadakpada police rushed to the scene and called in a forensic team to examine the spot. The body was later taken to a local hospital for the necessary legal formalities.“After receiving information, our teams worked together, and with the help of CCTV footage and local inputs, we traced the accused to their village in Vadavali,” said Rajendra Khedekar, senior police inspector of Khadakpada police station.Investigators said there was no known previous enmity between Madvi and the accused. The preliminary probe suggests that the murder was allegedly triggered by anger over the minor road accident.A case of murder has been registered against the three accused, and police are investigating the specific role played by each of them in the crime. The accused were produced before a local court, which remanded them in police custody until Oct 21.Police are also verifying whether the accused have any previous criminal records. Investigators are examining the circumstances under which a sharp weapon was allegedly carried and used during an argument over a minor collision.In June, a road-rage dispute between rival groups in Vitthalwadi, Kalyan East, turned violent, with stone-pelting and a country-made pistol shot injuring a pharmacist. In April, 63-year-old Naresh Waghela was fatally beaten near Dadar TT Bridge over a parking objection.
