Pune: A logo on a T-shirt and a social media post helped Chikhali police identify an unknown man whose decomposed body was found in bushes in Chikhali on Monday.Police identified the deceased as Lal Bahadur Ram (30), a native of Prayagraj district in Uttar Pradesh.A Chikhali police team led by senior inspector Ranjit Jadhav arrested Ram’s friend, Kamalesh Sharma (20), on Wednesday on the charge of murder. His other alleged accomplice is absconding. The duo allegedly bludgeoned Ram to death on Nov 7 and dumped his body in the bushes.Jadhav said the police found an unidentified body near Kudalwadi on Monday. The body had started decomposing, and the police had no clues to establish the man’s identity. They subsequently checked missing persons’ complaints.“We found a T-shirt worn by the victim that had a company logo. We contacted the firm, which has more than six branches. However, the victim was not its employee,” Jadhav said.He said on Tuesday, Rajesh Gautam (24), a resident of Chakan, approached the police. Gautam informed them that someone had shared a photograph of the body on social media and that he suspected it could be his cousin.“Gautam identified the deceased as Ram. We also found a photograph of the victim on his social media page in which he was wearing the same T-shirt,” Jadhav said.Assistant inspector Siddhnaath Babar of Chikhali police station said the investigation revealed that Ram was last seen with his two friends.“We traced Sharma before he could escape. During questioning, he admitted to bludgeoning Ram to death with a large stone following a heated argument over money to buy liquor,” Babar said.He said Ram had moved to Chikhali about three months ago and was staying in Hargude Vasti in Kudalwadi. He worked as a daily-wage labourer.The officer said the police were searching for the second accused, who remains at large. “We are working on some clues,” he said.
