A police constable from Navi Mumbai has been arrested for allegedly killing a friend after discovering that the victim had begun seeing a woman with whom he was involved. The accused, identified as Bandu Bhise, 49, was posted at the Rabale MIDC police station and is married. Investigators said he, along with three associates, allegedly strangled the man in Kalamboli before transporting the body nearly 190 kilometres to a village in Satara district. The group then allegedly set the corpse ablaze and disposed of it in a well located on agricultural land in an attempt to conceal the crime.
The case came to light on February 6 when a farmer from Sukhed village noticed a partially charred body inside his well and immediately informed the police. Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi stated that the body’s legs were bound with rope, raising suspicions of foul play. A post-mortem examination later confirmed that the victim had died due to strangulation. Based on these findings, a murder case was registered. Authorities began a detailed probe, treating the incident as a premeditated killing rather than an accidental death or suicide.
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According to Assistant Inspector Shivaji Jaypatre of Lonand police station, the local crime branch team led by Inspector Arun Deokar reviewed footage from nearly 300 CCTV cameras along the highway stretch towards Pune over three days. Officers also examined around 15 vehicles that appeared suspicious during the time frame. Eventually, they identified Bhise’s car, which was captured at the Khed-Shivapur toll plaza in Pune district while heading back to Mumbai in the early hours of February 6. The vehicle was registered with the Pune Regional Transport Office, enabling police to trace Bhise to Kalamboli on February 9.
During interrogation, Bhise reportedly attempted to mislead investigators before eventually admitting involvement in the crime. He identified the victim as Somnath Bobade, 30, a resident of Roadpali in Kalamboli who worked as a cab driver and was unmarried. Bhise also disclosed the names of his alleged accomplices—Vijay Pawar, 36, Kiran Gaikwad, 27, and Srinivas Lone, 25. Two suspects were apprehended in Pune, while the third was arrested in Phaltan, Satara district. Police said the accused had summoned Bobade under the pretext of settling a dispute over a woman, who is currently separated from her husband, before allegedly killing him inside the car.