In a chilling revelation, police said yesterday that Pune’s multi-millionaire Datta D Phuge was beaten to death by his son’s friends to whom he reportedly owed Rs150,000.
Known as ‘Pimpri Goldman,’ Phuge was attacked with a sickle, swords, knives and rods and then bludgeoned to death with large stones near Dighi here on Friday morning, shocking Pune, particularly its wealthy people.
Moving swiftly, police arrested five suspects, based on the statement of the victim’s 21-year old son Shubham D Phuge. Another four suspects are on the run.
The five are Amol alias Balli K Pathare, 24, Shailesh S Walke, 26, Vishal D Parkhe, 32, Nivrutti alias Balukishan Walke, 35 and Pramod S Dholpuria, 23. Among those on the run is the alleged prime conspirator Atul Mohite.
According to the police, around 10pm on Thursday, Mohite gave a reminder call to Shubham asking him to bring his father for a friend’s birthday party.
Mohite also told Shubham to pick up 10 packets of biryani and two cigarette packets en route to the party, the police said.
Shubham conveyed the message to his father and he went to collect the food in his car with his friend Rohan Panchal.
When they arrived for party, they saw that Mohite and others were attacking his father. He stopped his car and started screaming for help.
But it was too late. Phuge was severely injured in the brutal attack. Stunned by the turn of events, Shubham and Panchal called the police. Mohite and at least 10 others in the meantime sneaked out in the darkness.
Later, Shubham and Panchal, the main witnesses to the sensational crime, lodged a complaint with police. Phuge’s wife Seema, a former municipal corporator, also reached the place.
Investigations revealed that the motive behind the heinous crime was the Rs150,000 Phuge owed Mohite.
Given his penchant for a flashy lifestyle, Phuge usually moved around with armed private bodyguards. It is not clear why they were not with him that fateful night.
The businessman made headlines in 2013 for purchasing one of the world’s most expensive shirts made entirely of gold. 
He gained fame when he ordered a customised gold shirt worth Rs12.7mn.
It was made up of 14,000 pieces of 22-carat gold, weighed 3.32kg and was put together by 15 craftsmen over 16 days. 
The hefty garment earned Phuge – a money lender – the moniker “gold man,” a title he cherished. Phuge loved gold and the fame that came with his shirt.
“Everybody knows me as the ‘gold man’ in the whole region. Other rich people spend 1 crore to buy Audis or Mercedes, to buy what they like. What crime have I done? I just love gold,” he said in 2013.