Lonavala, a hill station in Pune district, became the scene of a fatal family feud when 83‑year‑old Motiram Rawoji Marathe allegedly shot his grandson, Abhay Manik Marathe, with a 12‑bore rifle on Oct 5. Police say the altercation over property rights sparked the violence.
The death was first reported as an accidental gun discharge while cleaning a rifle at Motiram Hotel near Bhushi Dam, but forensic examination found no signs of smoke or tattoo marks around the wound, prompting a deeper probe. Bloodstains on the hotel walls and the discovery of tampered CCTV footage further raised suspicions.
During questioning, the hotel’s night‑shift worker Aniket Jaisingh Ghussar revealed that the quarrel had escalated earlier that morning, and that Motiram allegedly fired the shot. Four other residents—Hiramam Motiram Marathe, Manoj Hiramam Marathe, Kavita Hiramam Marathe and Rajshree Dashrath Pawar—were detained for removing cameras and hiding evidence.
A first‑information report was lodged under the Arms Act and several sections of the Indian Penal Code, charging the five accused with murder, tampering with evidence and illegal possession of a firearm. The case will now be processed by the Pune court, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for next week.
For the Marathe family, the incident has torn apart a lineage that once thrived in hospitality. The hotel’s owner’s granddaughter, now 28, has said she will never reopen the establishment, citing the trauma of the night.
The Lonavala police chief, Ajay Kumar, assured residents that a thorough investigation will bring justice to the victims and the community, while the state government has pledged to review its firearms licensing procedures after the inquiry.