Crimes that unfold in familiar neighbourhoods often leave a deeper imprint than those reported from far-off cities. In recent years, several violent incidents in Vidarbha have involved individuals who were not unknown to the victims.

These were not crimes committed in haste or hidden in shadows. They occurred in public spaces, workplaces, and homes. The circumstances, witnesses, and immediate police action have made these cases hard to forget. Whether linked to gang rivalries, coercion, domestic conflict or personal vendettas, each incident has been documented through formal investigations.

Vidarbha has witnessed several such cases where the facts speak for themselves.

1. Café Owner Avinash Bhusari Shot in Nagpur

On 15 April 2025, Avinash Raju Bhusari, aged 28, owner of Shosha Café in Nagpur’s Gokulpeth area, was shot dead outside his shop. He was sitting on his scooter eating ice‑cream with his manager when attackers arrived in two vehicles. Four shooters fired six rounds at him from point‑blank range, targeting him in what police described as retaliation by the Hiranwar gang. He had received a death threat eight days before the killing, apparently connected to a dispute over bail proceedings for his cousin. Police identified at least ten accused and arrested several gang members including Bunty Hiranwar and Shakti Yadav. The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was invoked since the incident emerged from a bitter gang rivalry. Police succeeded in tracing the arms supplier, Shahid Sheikh Salim Sheikh, from Noida; he had arranged weapons sourced in Madhya Pradesh for the attack.

This was the third murder linked to the Sheikhu-Hiranwar feud within two years and prompted a crackdown on 28 gang networks across zones in Nagpur.

2. Roshan Mohite Arrested for Extortion

In late July 2025 police arrested Roshan Mohite in Nagpur after he demanded ₹10 lakh from the owner of a local eatery. Mohite had previously been acquitted in a high-profile murder trial involving Sheetal Raut. He allegedly imposed the threat in a property‑related dispute and then demanded payment rather than settling through lawful means. The arrest occurred swiftly as part of an anti‑extortion operation led by senior inspectors. Mohite and three accomplices were charged with extortion under relevant sections of the penal code. The accused is known to be associated with the sand‑mafia, a criminal network operating in the region.

The incident demonstrated that an acquitted individual remained implicated in fresh intimidation and coercion.

3. Murder of Hemlata Vaidya in Dabha

On 6 May 2025 receptionist Hemlata Kishore Vaidya, aged 34, was murdered by her partner Akshay Prakash Date at her workplace in Dabha. Date attacked her with an iron rod between 6.10pm and 6.20pm while she was at Abhishek Kewalramani’s builder’s office. She was rushed to Mayo Hospital in critical condition and died two days later. CCTV footage captured the assault; Date was arrested from Amravati within 24 hours. He confessed to the act without remorse, stating he had warned her previously about behaviour he deemed disrespectful. The Gittikhadan Police filled a 195‑page chargesheet within six days, including witness statements, forensic evidence, call detail records and the weapon itself. He was charged under sections 103 and 10 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and remanded in custody.

The speed and thoroughness of the investigation, aided by citizens’ testimonies, attracted significant coverage in the press.

4. Harish Jumde Surrenders After Slitting Brother’s Throat

On 25 July 2025 Harish Sheshrao Jumde, aged 40, surrendered at the Beltarodi police station after slashing his younger brother’s throat with a knife. The victim, Vaibhav Sheshrao Jumde, aged 37, had a history of alcohol abuse and alleged physical and verbal attacks on Harish’s wife and children. That evening, Vaibhav reportedly assaulted Harish’s wife again, prompting Harish to confront him and ultimately kill him with a kitchen knife. Harish went immediately to the police station to confess, and investigators seized the murder weapon at the scene. The police registered the incident as a domestic homicide and detained Harish pending remand until July 28. Local media interviews with neighbours indicated shock at the long‑standing domestic conflict erupting in fatal violence.

Authorities confirmed both brothers were jobless and living in the Khapri resettlement colony. Harish had earlier received ₹15 lakh compensation from MIHAN as a family land grant.

Violent crime documented through direct confessions, CCTV footage, arrests under special laws, and chargesheets assembled in days rarely leaves room for ambiguity. In each of these cases, those involved either surrendered or were apprehended with strong supporting evidence. The locations were residential or commercial zones, not remote stretches of the region. These incidents were not dismissed as isolated flare-ups; they drew sustained law enforcement focus.

In Vidarbha, where legal proceedings often take time to gather momentum, these crimes saw relatively swift procedural movement. What distinguishes them is not just their brutality, but how quickly they became part of public knowledge and official record.