A budding cricketer’s career has probably come to a shocking end even before it takes off. Fate has something else in store for him – probably a life term for allegedly stabbing to death a 22-year-old man along with his two friends – both minors Currey Road after allegedly consuming drugs, on Saturday afternoon. The accused are still at large.

 

The murder was reported to the Kalachowkie police station, who are on the lookout for the trio.

 

Well-placed sources in the police department revealed, the victim, Pritam Sonar, had rushed to the Godrej ground at Currey Road after knowing that his friend had been involved in an altercation. The local residents informed police that Ankit Naik (19) – an upcoming cricketer, and group of teenage friends were taking drugs near the ground when Sonar’s friend Amit Loke chanced to pass by. Loke got into a heated row with the trio in course of which Naik slapped Loke.

 

An enraged Loke brought his friend Harshal Dalvi (30) to the spot and the brawl turned nasty.

 

An eye-witness, on condition of anonymity, said, “Dalvi and Naik started fighting and the cricketer removed a chopper knife and stabbed the former behind his head. At the same time, Sonar, on hearing his friend had gotten into a fight, rushed to the spot. Naik then stabbed Sonar in the chest. All the three escaped.”

 

Locals rushed the injured to KEM Hospital, where Sonar was declared dead on arrival. They said Sonar who worked with a private hospital was the sole earning member of his family. He is survived by his mother and a younger brother and sister. Dalvi, meanwhile, has been injured seriously and is in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.

 

Meanwhile, people staying in the area are fuming over the drug-addicts and alcoholics hazard at the ground – a perennial sight over there. Despite several complaints made to the authorities, no action has been taken yet to rid the premises of the addicts. Gopinath Pawar, a call center executive added, “This is regular thing now. We residents, especially women, have to face lot of problems.