PUNE: A 30-year-old man, identified as Datta Vasant Bhondve of Dorambre village in Maval, allegedly got his wife and eight-month-old baby killed by two contract killers so that he could marry his girlfriend. The murders took place near Hinjawadi late on Saturday night. The police have arrested Bhondve, his girlfriend and the two killers.
Initially, Bhondve lodged an FIR stating that unidentified robbers had attacked them and killed his wife Ashwini (27) and son Anuj (8 months). According to the police, Bhondve is a transport contractor at the IT Park in Hinjawadi. He had a love marriage with Ashwini in 2014. They have a three-year-old daughter, besides the deceased baby. A week ago, Ashwini and the two children had gone to her mother’s place at Dange Chowk.
On Saturday, at 8 pm, Bhondve went to get them back in a car. DCP (Zone 3) Ganesh Shinde said, “Their daughter stayed back with Ashwini’s sister and after dinner, Bhondve, Ashwini and their son were going back to Darumbre when Bhondve started vomiting while passing by Punavale. He stopped the car to rinse his mouth. He told us that two men came there and threatened them with sharp weapons. They made him drive on the Nere-Jambe Road and strangulated Ashwini and the child to death with a rope.”
The police said it took about three hours for Bhondve to reach Aditya Birla Hospital for his ‘treatment’. Around 11.30 pm, Hinjawadi police were informed that the victims were murdered by ‘robbers’ who looted ornaments and cash. Sleuths from Hinjawadi and Wakad police and the Crime Branch were working on various aspects, but they suspected Bhondve’s role.
MURDER PLOT
DCP Shinde added, “There were discrepancies in his statement and his behaviour was suspicious. During sustained interrogation, he unravelled the plot. Bhondve and his girlfriend offered to pay Rs 2.5 lakh to Prashant Jagan Bhor (25) and Pavan Narayan Jadhav to kill Ashwini, who was a hurdle in their marriage. They paid Rs 50,000 as advance to the duo.”
Senior Police Inspector Arun Waykar, in-charge of Hinjawadi police station, said, “Bhondve and his girlfriend Sonali Balasaheb Jawle (24), who works at a school in Hinjawadi, got in contact through Facebook about two-and-half years ago. Later, they wanted to marry, but Bhondve told Sonali he can’t marry her due to Ashwini. Hence, they planned the murder. Had the daughter come with them, she would also have been killed.”
The police said about two months ago, Bhondve had got the engagement of a girl broken after promising to marry her. “We suspect he is cheating other girls also,” an officer said. PI (Crime) RG Unde is investigating the case.