However, in a swift action, the police arrested Satish Bhavbande late in the evening at Talegaon Dabhade. According to deputy commissioner of police Jagan Nath, Bhavbande was hiding at his relative's place. Five friends of Bhavbandhe, the young resident of Rakshalekha Housing Society in Dattawadi who is facing the charges of abducting and killing his 16-year-old neighbour Neeta, have been detained by Swargate police for interrogation. Bhavbandhe's scooter has been seized.

Assistant commissioner of police for Wanowrie division Pratap Dighavkar has been asked to probe the alleged lapses by Swargate police in investigations pertaining to the complaint about Neeta's kidnapping.

Meanwhile, the preliminary investigation has revealed that Bhavbandhe was harassing Neeta for the last several months. He was arrested by the sub-inspector in-charge of Dattawadi police chowkey Ajit Joshi after Neeta's parents lodged a complaint accusing him of teasing Neeta in March this year, said deputy commissioners of police Jagan Nath and Vinod Lokhande while speaking to the reporters here today.

Neeta, an XI standard student of the MES College, was allegedly abducted from a private coaching class near SP College on Thursday evening. She was found dead at Swargate police lines on Friday night.

Earlier, irked over the delay in arresting the people named in the first information report by Neeta's father Shamrao, the residents took out a morcha to the police chowkey soon after Neeta's mortal remains were immersed on Sunday morning. The morcha was led by local social worker Mihir Thatte, corporators Shankar Pawar and Bhagvan Kshirsagar and Congress candidate contesting elections from Parvati assembly segment Ramesh Bagve.

Tension mounted in the area when some irate residents pelted stones at the police chowkey. Reinforcements were brought in from the police headquarters while ACP Dighavkar, inspector in-charge of Swargate police station Baburao Patil and the morcha leaders tried to pacify the inflamed residents. The situation came under control after DCPs Jagan Nath and Lokhande arrived at spot and began discussing the matter with a delegation comprising Neeta's relatives, some residents of the society and the morcha leaders.

Later, the DCPs told the reporters that Bhavbandhe and his friend Ashish Patankar had approached Neeta while she was returning home with one of her friends on Thursday evening.

Neeta had initially turned down Bhavbandhe's request to accompany him. However, she went with him asking Patankar and her friend to wait after Bhavbandhe insisted that he wanted to discuss an important matter, they added.

According to the two DCPs, Patankar and Neeta's friend returned home after waiting for Neeta and Bhavbandhe for some time. Shamrao Hendre went to lodge the FIR against Bhavbandhe after Neeta's friend informed him about the incident.

ACP Dighavkar said a police constable staying in the Swargate police lines spotted Neeta's mutilated body lying in a passage behind the fair price shop at the police lines and tipped off the Khadak police on Friday evening.

He said Bhavbandhe was charged with murder late last night after the Swargate police received the express report submitted by the doctors who performed the post-mortem on Neeta.

Neeta's uncle Sunil Hendre alleged that he approached the policemen at Dattawadi police chowkey several times on Friday and tried to convince them for speeding up the investigation into the kidnapping. However, he went on to allege, the policemen refused to search for Neeta saying they were busy with bandobast for immersion processions. He said Neeta's gold chain, an ear ring and a shoe were missing when her body was shown to them. He also claimed that the belt of her wrist watch was broken.

A pall of gloom descended on Dattawadi after the news of Neeta's murder spread. Several Ganesh mandals put up boards condemning the incident. The Stree Adhav Kendra has also condemned the incident.

Neeta has two sisters; Deepti who studies in FY Bcom with the SP College and Snehal who is in the VII standard.

After a death,city policewake up
It took the murder of Neeta Hendre for the Pune police to realise the threat posed to the lives of women by eve teasers. A day after Neeta's body was found, deputy commissioner of police Jagan Nath announced that the police were chalking out an action plan to curb eve teasing.

Jagan Nath told reporters that the police would now conduct meetings with the residents of various housing societies to identify the youths who indulge in eve teasing. He also assured that a stringent action would be taken in every case of eve teasing reported to the police.