Probing into the murders of seven members of a family, the Pune rural police exhumed the bodies of three of the deceased to conduct a second post-mortem, officers said. Between January 18 and 24, seven bodies were fished out of the Bhima river at Pargaon in Pune’s Daund taluka. Five people were arrested in connection with the case.
A press release issued Saturday stated that a minor boy allegedly involved in the murders was also apprehended. He was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent to an observation home.
The police identified the deceased as Mohan Uttam Pawar, 45, his wife Sangita Pawar, 40, both natives of Khamgaon village in Beed district’s Georai taluka, their son-in-law Shamrao Pandit Fulaware, 28, daughter Rani Fulaware, 24, her three children Ritesh, 7, Chotu, 5, and Krushna, 3, all natives of Hatole village in Osmanabad district’s Washi taluka.
The bodies of Sangita, Rani and Shamrao were exhumed in the presence of the Daund tehsildar and taken to Sassoon Hospital for repeat post-mortem and its report is awaited, the release said.
According to investigators, the first body was found on January 18. Three more bodies were found between January 20 and 22, while on January 23, the bodies of the three children were fished out of the river by a team of Pune Mahanagar Vikas Pradhikaran.
Post-mortem examination of the bodies of Sangita Pawar, Rani Fulaware and Shamrao Fulaware, conducted at a government hospital in Yavat, revealed that they died due to drowning. The post-mortem of the others was done at Sassoon Hospital.
Meanwhile, investigation indicated that the deceased were murdered by their relatives, officers said. Five people were arrested on charges of murder, including Pawar’s cousins Ashok Kalyan Pawar, 39, Sham Kalyan Pawar, 35, Shankar Kalyan Pawar, 37, Prakash Kalyan Pawar, 24, and a woman Kantabai Sarjerao Jadhav, 45, all residents of Nighoj in Ahmednagar district’s Parner taluka.
An FIR was lodged against them at Yavat police station under sections 302, 120B, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The police said the accused Ashok Pawar’s son Dhananjay had died in a road accident at Wagholi a few months ago. Ashok and his family suspected that Manoj Pawar and his son Anil were responsible for Dhananjay’s death. The murders are allegedly said to have been committed in revenge.
Police said a four-wheeler used by the accused for committing the crime has also been seized. Investigators suspect the accused dumped the bodies of the deceased in the river after their murder using this vehicle. A team of forensic experts has recovered important evidence in the case, the release added.