Pimpri: In a significant breakthrough, the Wakad Police have arrested Vinayak Anil Awale, the accused in the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Shivani Somnath Supekar. The arrest took place in Solapur after an extensive manhunt.

Shivani Supekar, 28, was found dead on the morning of September 11 in an auto-rickshaw at Jagatap Nagar, Thergaon. The police identified her as a live-in partner of Vinayak Awale, 35.

The 27-year-old woman’s body was later found in an auto rickshaw that was parked in front of her mother's residence. Following the discovery of the body, it was revealed that Vinayak had fled the scene.

To apprehend the accused, the Wakad Police set up two teams and gathered information that Vinayak had escaped to Bijapur, Karnataka.

Acting on this information, a team led by Police Sub-Inspector Sachin Chavan and other officers pursued Vinayak, who was traveling back towards Solapur. He was captured near Solapur Railway Station.

During interrogation, Vinayak confessed to strangling Shivani over suspicions of her infidelity. His criminal history includes multiple offenses: theft at Pune Railway Station in 2013, a murderous assault in Bhosari in 2016, illegal possession of firearms in 2019, assault in Pimpri in 2020, and drug possession in 2024.

The arrest and investigation were conducted under the supervision of Police Commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Shashikant Mahanwar, Additional Commissioner Vasant Pardeshi, and other senior officers including Nivrutti Kolhatkar, Gorakh Kumbhar, and Sachin Chavan.