Four members of a local liquor mafia gang have been arrested by the police in the south Maharashtra district of Sindhudurg for allegedly killing their fifth accomplice, Siddhivinayak alias Prakash Bidwalkar, and disposing of his body in March 2023. The matter came into light on Friday. Police had been looking for Bidwalkar, wanted in an inter-state liquor smuggling matter, who had not been traceable for two years.

Bidwalkar had been living with his maternal aunt, who is hearing and speech impaired. “We found out with the help of the aunt’s cousin that Bidwalkar had been taken away in March 2023 by four men—Siddhesh Shirsat, Ganesh Narvekar, Sarvesh Kerkar and Amol alias Vallabh Shirsat—and he never came back home even when his mother passed away during the last 24 months,” said an officer privy to the investigation. “A kidnapping case was registered at the police station in Nivti, Vengurla taluka, against the four,” the officer added. The Nivti police team, led by API Bhimsen Gaikwad, were empowered to take the four into custody.