PUNE: Pune rural police on Sunday arrested a man in connection with the murder of two elderly women found with their throats slit while sleeping outside their homes in Sherewadi village of Baramati taluka on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Vikas Rajendra Ladkat, 26, a resident of the same village, was arrested at 3:30am from a nearby locality, Baramati police said.
He is the grandson of a cousin of one of the deceased women, Indumati Maruti Ladkat (75), who was a former sarpanch of Baburdi village. She is survived by two sons; one works as a gram sevak in Baramati while the other is employed in Bengaluru. Krishnabai Kundalik Ladkat, 65, the other victim, has a son who farms in the village and was present at the spot after the incident, police said.
An officer from the Pune rural police department said, “As per the initial investigation, the accused was under financial stress. He killed his grandmother and another woman and fled with their belongings.”
Assistant inspector Shashikant Shelke of Supa police station said there were signs that both women’s homes had been ransacked. “Some jewellry is missing, and there are signs that the perpetrator broke into their homes,” Shelke said.
{{/usCountry}}Assistant inspector Shashikant Shelke of Supa police station said there were signs that both women’s homes had been ransacked. “Some jewellry is missing, and there are signs that the perpetrator broke into their homes,” Shelke said.
{{/usCountry}}A forensic team, fingerprint experts and a dog squad were called to the scene to collect evidence and assist the investigators. The police are also questioning people in the area and examining the circumstances surrounding the double murder.
The arrested accused is being questioned to establish the motive behind the killings and determine if anyone else was involved. Police have called a press conference on Monday to share more information related to the accused and the case.