Man held for murder

A man, who was on the run after allegedly beating his male acquaintance to death, was Friday arrested from Virar, within 12 hours of the crime, police said. The accused, Amit Tomar (28), was held for killing Ketan Mandal (27) on Thursday night following a heated argument.

"The victim, along with the accused and a group of their male acquaintances had gathered in Virar last night to consume liquor. While they were drinking outside a shop, an argument broke out among them. In a fit of rage, Tomar punched Mandal several times, following which the latter collapsed on the ground," Palghar police spokesperson Hemant Katkar said. "Mandal succumbed to his injuries on the way to a hospital," he added.

After his death, police registered a case of murder against Tomar. "Police formed several teams to trace the absconding accused and nabbed him in Virar," Katkar said..