NAGPUR: Sensing a serious crime was about to take place at his neighbour Kamble’s house in the early hours of Saturday, Amit Bhagat (25), first and then his friends, tried to call ‘100’ to alert the police. Five rings went without response. Finally, when a call went through, the woman’s voice provided a landline number and told him to call up the Jaripatka police station. Here too they hit a blank. Shocked at the response from 100, Bhagat got onto his motorcycle towards a patrol van which he spotted on way to the police station. The cops in the van responded and managed to nab the culprit who was trying to escape. Bhagat was left wondering if two lives could have been saved had those manning ‘100’ dutifully responded. 60-year-old Sharnu Kamble, alias Annaji, had hacked his wife Gopi (50) and nephew Chetan Rampure (10) to death at their two-room house in the dingy lane of the Takshasheela Nagar slum on Nari Road. Daily wager Sharnu has been arrested. Police sources said that Sharnu was upset with Gopibai and brother-in-law Madhukar, the father of Chetan. Sharnu later told police that Gopibai and Madhukar would frequently threaten him over family disputes. Amit, a painter, was woken up from his sleep on hearing a shrill cry for help at 3.30am. Amit, along with his brother Amol, mother Rekha and some friends went to investigate the strange noises emanating from Kamble’s house. Amol even knocked at the door but there was no response. Amol showed TOI his mobile phone call details which displayed five failed attempts to call ‘100’ at 3.39am. Suddenly, Sharnu emerged from the house with an axe dripping blood. His clothes too were drenched in blood. It was unnerving to those present there. “Fights between Sharnu and his wife over family needs was regular,” said Amit. Amit said Sharnu, who he had spotted sharpening the axe since a few days, sat on the steps of his house with the blood-smeared axe in hand. When Amit and Amol advanced, Sharnu held the axe threateningly forcing them to retreat. “Suddenly, Sharnu heard some noise from inside the house and turned back. Again, I asked my friend to dial 100. On being given a number, Amol dialled it at 3.43am but no one received the call. Three minutes later we again dialled (640404) and woman claimed not to be able to hear anything due to a technical snag,” said Amit. It was then that Amit and his friend Kisan Dhoke rushed out on a bike at 3.50am. He could see a speeding patrol van which he followed at top speed and managed to stop it. On being told about the case, the policemen immediately rushed with Amit and Dhoke. Sharnu rushed out of his house spotting the cops but was pinned down by a constable and then brought to Jaripatka police station. “Sharnu must be hanged. His nephew was not keen to stay at his place but the couple kept Chetan as all their three daughters were married. Sharnu was a liquor addict and did not contribute to the family. Gopi used to sell vegetables and earn money,” said Amit. Amit informed Chetan’s parents at Solapur and the married daughters of Sharnu and Gopibai, who stayed near Pune and Kolhapur, about the incident. DCP (HQ) Nirmala Devi S said the failure of the control room “seemed to be serious” and would be “probed”. “We will call for the records to verify,” she said.

