47 years on, podcast captures Joshi-Abhyankar murders that shook Punekars

Friends Rajendra Jakkal, Dilip Sutar, Shantaram Jagtap and Suhas Chandak kidnapped and killed their classmate Prashant Hegde for ransom of ₹25,000 on January 14, 1976

As the infamous Joshi-Abhyankar murders’ case completes 47 years, Seema Khandagale of the city has created a podcast that covers how a craving for joyride led the youths from Pune to murder more than 10 people, first reported on January 14, 1976.

As the infamous Joshi-Abhyankar murders’ case completes 47 years, Seema Khandagale of the city has created a podcast that covers how a craving for joyride led the youths from Pune to murder more than 10 people (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

Friends Rajendra Jakkal, Dilip Sutar, Shantaram Jagtap and Suhas Chandak kidnapped and killed their classmate Prashant Hegde for ransom of ₹25,000 on January 14, 1976.

They later went on killing nine more people that shattered Pune’s image of “pensioner’s paradise” and known for its rich culture and values. The crimes shook the city and Punekars preferred to stay inside during nights for months till the accused were caught by the police.

According to Khandagale, a PR professional, very few people are aware that the seed of this serial killing was sown in an incident of a bike stolen for joyride in March 1975. “Jakkal, Sutar, Jagtap and Chandak while returning from college stole a Jawa motorcycle from Shukravar Peth, as a harmless mischief. The stealing of motorcycles for joyrides became frequent as no police person ever stopped them while they rode these stolen vehicles in the city, boosting their confidence to commit crime.”

Within ten months of stealing the first bike, the friends killed their classmate, said Khandagale, who has produced a five-part Marathi podcast “Pune Killings: Jakkal Case” on the shocking event.

“It took me three years to produce the podcast after in-depth research. It sheds light on the lapses in investigation process which led to more serial killing, events that led to the start of the crime and issues like Emergency, unemployment that shaped the minds of people during that time,” Khandagale said.

Siddharth Naik, who has narrated the podcast, said that it is a detailed work of reporting depicting a snapshot of the time, place, and people involved in the tragic case.

“I tried my best to give a human touch while recreating Pune of the mid-1970s,” he said.