Pune: Millionaire money-lender, Datta D. Phuge, famous as ‘Pimpri Goldman’, was found beaten to death near Dighi here on early Friday morning, police said.
The high-profile businessman’s vehicle was accosted by unknown persons on the outskirts of the city late on Thursday night.
They reportedly dragged him out, attacked him with a sickle and then beat him to death with huge stones before fleeing from the spot.
Phuge usually moved around with armed private bodyguards, but it is not clear where they were at the time of the incident.
Officials later came across mangled body of the 35-year old "gold man", whose wife Seema is an ex-municipal corporator.
The motive behind the killing is not known, but police preliminary suspect it may be linked to some business rivalries and are investigating all angles.
The police have recovered the sickle used in the crime and have sent Phuge’s body for an autopsy.
In late 2012, Phuge shot into global limelight after he stitched an opulent Rs10 million (Dh548,000) 22-carat pure gold shirt which came decorated with six glittering Swarovski crystal buttons and an accompanying flashy gold belt in a matching design.
At that time (2012), his shirt was billed as the most expensive in the world, weighing around 3.5kg and “stitched” by the famous Ranka Jewellers of Pune.
The golden shirt has over 14,000 gold flowers intertwined with 100,000-plus spangles sewn on a base of fine velvet. It is described as comfortable to wear.
Besides his primary business of lending money, Phuge ran the Vakratund Chit Fund Pvt. Ltd. along with his wife, and there were complaints of financial misappropriation against him in recent times.
The Pune Police have launched a manhunt to nab the assailants, with roadblocks erected at all exit points and within the city limits as well as district boundaries.
