A 19-year-old youth was arrested and a minor boy was detained for allegedly murdering their friend, a class 12 student, whose body parts were found dumped in two wells in a village in Ahilyanagar district, police said on Tuesday.

Prima facie, the accused suspected that the student had defamed them over their closeness, leading to the crime, an official said.

The victim, Mauli Gavhane, a resident of Danewadi in Shrigonda tehsil, went missing on March 6 after he left home to appear for the HSC exam in Pune district.

“When he did not return home and his family was unable to trace his whereabouts, his parents filed a missing person’s complaint at the police station.

“On March 12, a severed leg and torso were found in a well near Danewadi village. The following day, the head and two hands were discovered in a gunny bag in another well nearby,” said an Ahilyanagar crime branch official.

The investigation revealed the role of two suspects, including the minor, who are close friends of the victim. They allegedly killed Gavhane using a sword before dismembering his body and dumping the remains in the wells, police said.

The accused suspected that Gavhane allegedly defamed them over their closeness, leading to the crime.

“One accused is currently in police custody, while the minor has been sent to an observation home. We are investigating the case from all possible angles,” the officer added.

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