PUNE: The serial killer given the moniker 'Stoneman' who drove fear into the hearts of the residents of Madhya Pradesh with a series of gruesome murders, was finally nabbed by police today.
19-year-old Shiv Prasad Dhurve, who was inspired by Kannada film 'KGF 2', might have begun his killing spree only recently, but left an indelible impact as one of the most cold-hearted and deadly killers to have roamed this land. The killer, whose spine-chilling modus operandi left authorities shell-shocked, was traced with the help of a team of policemen and triangulating a mobile phone network.
According to police, Dhurve's killings followed a similar pattern. He used to kill night watchmen while they slept. A majority of his victims were aged in their 50s and 60s.
'Stoneman' did not use sophisticated machinery to kill his victims. Instead, the teen bludgeoned his victims to death using crude instruments. Hence, his nickname.
His last two murders, committed within a space of 72 hours, were done using a hammer and a large stone.
Dhurve was greatly inspired by actor Yash's gangster protagonist 'Rocky Bhai' from KGF 2. In fact, it has been learnt that he sought to raise funds so that he could become a gangster and target policemen.
The killer hailed from Sagar district in MP, where most of the killings were done. However, Dhurve has reportedly disclosed that he began his spree in the metropolis of Pune.
Authorities were put on red-alert in May this year when a watchman of a bridge construction agency was found murdered under the Makronia police station area. Fears of a serial killer on the loose were confirmed when subsequent murders followed a similar pattern.
Maharashtra police made a sketch of the killer using CCTV footage, which was then circulated via media. A bounty of Rs. 20,000 was also announced for information leading to his arrest.
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