Three individuals, including a woman, have been arrested in connection with the murder of Ashok Sukhdeo Madhe, a man from Maharashtra’s Nashik district. The body was found in Thane district, and authorities suspect the crime was linked to an extramarital affair, as per police statements made on Monday.
The arrests were made after a joint operation by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) and Shahapur police. The accused have been identified as Vasim Pathan (32), Rahul Gunjal (24), and Shital Keshav Fodse.
The investigation began after an unidentified man’s body was found on April 30 on the roadside in Umbarkhand village, Thane district. The deceased, aged between 25 and 30, showed signs of having been murdered, according to the post-mortem report. The Shahapur police had filed a case under sections related to murder and evidence destruction, but the victim’s identity was initially unknown.
A two-team investigation was launched, led by Senior Inspector (SI) Suresh Manore of LCB and SI Jitendra Thakur of Shahapur police. Their efforts included examining CCTV footage, investigating missing persons reports, and visiting the crime scene. This led to the identification of the deceased as Ashok Madhe from Sinnar taluka, Nashik district, about 150km away.
Further investigation revealed that Madhe had been last seen with Vasim Pathan, also from the same village, and had not returned home. Pathan was detained and, upon questioning, confessed to the murder. Pathan’s associate, Rahul Gunjal, was arrested afterward.
The investigation continued to reveal that Shital Fodse, a woman from Bahandardara Wadi in Igatpuri taluka, had hired Pathan and Gunjal to kill Madhe. The crime was believed to be the result of an extramarital affair between Madhe and Fodse. After the relationship soured, Fodse allegedly orchestrated the murder to eliminate Madhe.
The arrests of the three individuals have shed light on the tragic motive behind the crime, which has shocked the local community.
