A fortnight after the discovery of three murdered victims—a woman and her two children—at Khandale village near Ranjangaon, Pune Rural police arrested Gorakh Popat Bokhare, the 36-year-old brother-in-law of the woman.
Bokhare, a resident of Saradwadi village in Shirur and a water tanker and garbage van driver, has been charged with killing Swati Keshav Sonawane (25) and her sons Swaraj (3) and Viraj (1) between May 23 and 24. Police allege he strangled the victims, struck them with a stone, and partially burnt their bodies after their deaths.
Pune Rural SP Sandeep Singh Gill said the brutal act was motivated by a domestic disagreement. Bokhare was produced before a magisterial court in Shirur, which ordered his custodial remand till June 16.
The partially burnt bodies of Swati and her sons were found on May 25 along the road in Khandale village. Following a complaint lodged by Swati’s husband, Keshav Sonawane, police investigations led to Alandi, where they discovered Swati had left with Bokhare. It was revealed that Bokhare, Swati’s cousin, had been mediating disputes between her and her husband and had later entered a relationship with her.
According to police, tensions arose when Swati insisted on marrying Bokhare during her visit to Alandi. On the night of May 23, Bokhare took Swati and her children to an isolated road near Khandale village. After an argument following intimate relations, he strangled Swati while the children were asleep and then strangled the children.
To conceal the crime, Bokhare doused the bodies with petrol and set them on fire before fleeing the scene. He then returned to his regular work routine in Ranjangaon.
