Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
To get rid of the lover who was continuously pressuring him for marriage, the accused Saurabh Bandu Lakhe (31, Shiur in Vaijapur tehsil) strangulated and killed her in broad daylight. Hence, the additional sessions judge S A Sinha awarded life imprisonment (LI) to Saurabh and also slapped a fine of Rs 30,000.
Chopping of body parts
The complainant, PSI Ramesh Rathod, stated that Saurabh and his lover Anita (name changed) were quarrelling with each other for the last few days. Anita was insisting that Saurabh tie the nuptial knot with her. She even threatened him to shift to his parent's house, if he does not agree. On August 15, 2022, Saurabh and his accomplices strangled her in the latter’s house at 8.30 am. Later on, they ran away to Shiur by locking the door from the outside.
On the second day (August 16), Saurabh came to Anita’s house at 1 pm, chopped off her head and left hand, and by keeping them in a bag, left the house on a motorcycle (MH 20 9648). He kept the body parts at a secluded place in the furniture godown. On the third day (August 17), he again visited Anita’s house at 10.30 am with accomplices in a car (bearing number MH 20 CH 3076) and took away the body to dispose of it. However, during the nakabandi by Devgaon Rangari police they got arrested. The heinous murder came to light during the investigation. The case was registered with the Cidco police station.
Hearing of the case and punishment
The then police inspector Vinod Salgalkar filed a charge sheet after the investigation. During the trial, Assistant Public Prosecutor Arvind Parshuram Bagul recorded the statements of 28 witnesses. Among them, the testimonies of Anita’s friend, two tenants from the building, CCTV footage, doctors, and panch (independent witnesses) proved to be crucial. At the end of the hearing, the court gave the above verdict. The remaining two accused were acquitted due to a lack of strong evidence.