Video surfaces in Kankaria murder case, hostility indicates personal dispute
Updated: Jan 15th, 2026
A day after a youth was hacked to death near the Kankaria football ground on Uttarayan night, police on Wednesday said a live video of the killing has surfaced, indicating that the murder was the outcome of a long-simmering personal dispute.
The victim has been identified as Chirag Rathod. According to investigators, the killing stemmed from a clash that had taken place nearly two months ago, when Chirag had reportedly reprimanded a friend of his sister, triggering hostility that later turned fatal.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6) Bhagirath Gadhvi said the video, which is now part of the investigation, shows the accused attacking Chirag following a confrontation. “Preliminary findings suggest the murder was committed due to enmity arising out of a previous altercation. The video footage is being examined frame by frame,” Gadhvi said.
Police said the prime accused, Manthan alias Ritvik Parmar, along with his associates, allegedly called Chirag to the spot on the pretext of resolving the dispute. Once he arrived, he was attacked with sharp weapons, resulting in his death on the spot.
Based on the complaint registered at the Maninagar Police Station, four persons, Manthan alias Ritvik Parmar, Jaydeep Shah, Harshil Shah, and Vijay alias VP Parmar, have been booked for murder. The FIR states that the accused acted in concert and carried out the assault following a planned meeting.
“The incident appears to have been premeditated. Teams are analysing CCTV footage from nearby areas and tracking the movements of the accused,” a senior police officer said, adding that further investigation is under way.
Police had earlier cordoned off the area after the incident and sent the body for post-mortem examination. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the accused and establish the exact sequence of events leading up to the murder, officials said.
