Brothers-in-law found dead in separate locations; Foul play angle probed

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The mysterious deaths of two brothers-in-law who had gone fishing at a percolation pond in Vadgaon Kolhati have taken a disturbing turn, with one body recovered from the pond and the other found on a railway track under Jawahar Nagar police limits.

On Friday (April 3), Vinod Jadhav (25, Waluj), and Siddharth Divekar (35), of Salampurenagar–Wadgaon, went fishing but did not return home. On Saturday morning, their two-wheeler, clothes, mobile phones and slippers were found on the pond bank, raising fears of drowning. A team from the Padampura fire brigade, led by deputy fire officer Sanjay Kulkarni, launched a search with local residents. By afternoon, Siddharth’s body was recovered from the pond and sent to Government Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem.

However, in a dramatic development, Vinod’s body was found later in the evening in a railway cutting area in Gadia Vihar under Jawahar Nagar police jurisdiction. Earlier, around 1 pm, police had received information that a man had jumped in front of a train. He was taken to GMCH Hospital but declared dead before treatment. By evening, he was identified as Vinod. Police suspect Vinod may have died by suicide. Before the incident, he allegedly called his younger brother Vaibhav around noon, saying, “I am going to end my life. Take care of father,” before disconnecting. The contrasting locations of the bodies one in the pond and the other on a railway track along with the belongings found at the pond site, have raised questions about whether the deaths were accidental, suicidal, or involved foul play. Investigators are examining all angles. Personnel from MIDC Waluj police station, including constables Pravin Patharkar and Sagar Patil, assisted in the operation. Fire brigade members Sandeep Chavan, Dinesh Mungse, Prasad Shinde, Deepak Gadekar, Vikram Bakale and Jagdish Salambad also participated. The incident drew large crowds, and grieving relatives broke down at the scene. Siddharth, a driver by profession, is survived by his wife Ashwini, mother Meenabai, three daughters Sonali, Sayali and Pratiksha and a son, Rajratna. Police inspector Sachin Kumbhar said the exact cause of both deaths will be clear after post-mortem reports and detailed statements from family members.