Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
Usha Kamble was murdered over dispute of Rs 7,000
DISPUTE over a small amount of Rs 7,000 resulted in gory murder of a woman and her one-and-a-half year old granddaughter at Pawansut Nagar on Saturday evening. After slitting their throats with sharp-weapon at his residence, the accused packed the bodies in sacks and threw in a nullah near Durga lay-out, behind Vihirgaon village on Umred Road. The bodies were recovered on Sunday morning.
The deceased have been identified as 54-year old Usha Sevakdas Kamble and one and half-year-old Rashi Ravikant Kamble, both residents of Plot No. 17, Pawansut Nagar, New Dighori. Usha was the mother and Rashi was daughter of Ravikant Kamble, crime reporter of ‘Nagpur Today’ portal.
The accused has been identified as Ganesh alias Golu Ramcharan Shahu (26), a resident of Plot No. 34, Pawansut Nagar. He is the proprietor of a grocery shop situated on the main road and near the residence of the deceased.
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| Deceased Usha Kamble with her granddaughter Rashi |
Police said, Shahu’s mother owed Rs 7,000 to Usha Kamble. On Saturday evening, Usha along with Rashi went to a jewellery shop and then to Shahu’s grocery shop demanding the money. He was alone at the shop as his father Shivdharan and mother Geeta have reportedly gone to Surat to attend a family function.
As per the statement of accused, a heated exchange of words took place between him and Usha over the money. Shahu asked Usha to come to the first floor to take the money. When Usha and the kid went upstairs another brawl broke out. In a fit of rage Shahu repeatedly smashed Usha’s head against the wall. When she collapsed on the floor, Shahu took out a sharp weapon (a small tin sheet) and slit her throat. As the profusely bleeding Usha kept battling for life the little kid, who witnessed the crime, started crying loudly. Fearing that it would alert the neighbours, Shahu slit the throat of Rashi. After killing both, Shahu washed his hands and came down to the shop.
Later, the accused cleaned the blood stains on the first floor, packed the bodies in sacks and took it for disposal in his Mahindra Xylo car at around 9.30 pm. He drove towards Bahadura turning and went towards Durga lay-out situated behind Vihirgaon village. Shahu threw the bodies in the nullah and returned home.
A police officer claimed that the accused again washed the floor and the Xylo car to destroy the evidence.
Hudkeshwar police have registered a case under Section 302 and 364 of Indian Penal Code. Further investigation is on. The accused will be produced in the court on Monday. Ganesh Shahu was the accused in an attempt to murder case reported at Sakkardara Police Station.
Contradiction in statements leads to suspicion
MISSING information of Usha and Rashi was given to police at 1.30 am on Sunday. Immediately, the police machinery swung into action to trace them. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone IV Nilesh Bharne visited Kamble’s place at 2.30 am and started investigation.
After receiving information that Usha was last seen at the shop of Shahu, the police questioned Ganesh Shahu. However, Shahu misled the police by saying Usha was fighting with someone on phone after getting Rs 7,000 from him. The police then studied Call Data Records (CDR) of Usha’s mobile phone and called one Tagade and a woman for questioning. Both said they had friendly interaction with Usha on phone. Statements of Tagade and the woman contradicted Shahu’s theory which alerted the investigators.
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| Police led by DCP Nilesh Bharne collecting forensic evidence from the spot. |
When the body was found in a nullah at around 10 am on Sunday the police inquired Shahu’s neighbours who said they heard loud noise and screams from Shahu’s house at around 6 pm on Saturday and suddenly there was dead silence. Police then checked Shahu’s house and car and noticed blood stains. A team of forensic experts examined the car and Shahu’s house and collected forensic evidence from the spot. The cops took Shahu and his brother in custody for interrogation where Ganesh Shahu confessed to the crime on Sunday evening.
Likely involvement of more accused
The cops are suspecting involvement of two to three persons in the crime. A tenant at Shahu’s house told the police that she had seen Ganesh and his wife talking at first floor at around 8 pm. As per the statement of the accused the bodies were on the first floor till 9.30 pm. When police went there they found Shahu’s wife cleaning the house.
“How can Ganesh Shahu load the bodies in the car from first floor on his own? There could be more persons involved in this murder,” suspected a police officer. Sources confirmed that a team of Crime Branch interrogating three persons including wife of Ganesh Shahu, brother and a relative.
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