A police station official said the accused had hit Akash Shelar (Representational)

Seven people were arrested on Monday in Khed in Maharashtra's Pune for allegedly beating to death a 20-year-old man on the suspicion that he was harassing a girl, police said.

A police station official said the accused had hit Akash Shelar, a resident of Medankarwadi in Khed tehsil, on August 4 with sticks after accusing him of harassing a schoolgirl known to them.

"The accused admitted him in a hospital claiming he was the victim of a road accident. They told the deceased's family that they would take care of medical expenses. Not suspecting anything amiss, Shelar's kin did not file a police complaint," he said.

"He died on August 11. Based on the post mortem and doctors' reports, a murder case was registered on Sunday. The seven men were arrested on Monday under sections of the IPC and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act," he said.