Pune cab driver finds missing wife's body inside sofa he was sleeping on: Report

After not being able to contact his wife, Umesh searched for her across the Hadapsar town on his friend's bike for two days.

A Pune-based cab driver's two day-long search for his missing wife resulted in him discovering her body in the very sofa-cum-bed that he had been sleeping on.

Postmortem report revealed that Umesh's wife had died due to strangulation. (HT File Photo)

The horrifying incident unfolded in Hadapsar town's Hundekar Vasti, where 36-year-old Umesh and his 24-year-old wife Swapnali Umesh Pawar were living.

Phursungi police on Saturday launched a murder investigation after Swapnali's body was found in the storage compartment of the sofa-cum-bed in her house, Times of India reported. HT cannot independently verify this information.

What happened

According to the report, Umesh last heard from his wife on November 7 around 10 am, when he called her while on his way to Beed for a passenger drop, to check on her. However, the next day, despite calling her repeatedly, Umesh couldn't reach his wife and her phone was switched off.

A worried Umesh called his friend in their town to go and check on his wife at their house. Unfortunately, the friend also couldn't find her.

The cab driver ultimately returned home on the same day at noon and began searching for his wife throughout the town. He rode through the streets of Hadapsar on his friend's bike, looking for his wife. He even went to their friends' and family's places, but Swapnali was nowhere to be found.

How did Umesh find his wife

During his two-day search for his wife, Umesh had been sleeping on a sofa-cum-bed. Early on Saturday, he realised that some of his wife's valuables were also missing. He then reportedly opened the storage compartment of the furniture, only to find his wife's body stuffed inside it.

Phursungi police's senior inspector Mangal Modhawe said, "Tragically, it was the very piece of furniture he was sleeping on, a 4x6ft unit. He's in a state of shock."

Modhawe said the cops believe that Swapnali was strangled to death, ToI cited the senior cop as saying.

After Umesh found his wife's body, the Pune police was informed of the situation and a team was sent to his house. By evening, the postmortem confirmed that Swapnali's cause of death was strangulation. The report also found nail marks on the neck of the deceased.

Suspect likely a known person

Noting that there were no signs of forced entry at their house, the police said the suspect was probably known to the deceased. "This person's phone has been switched off ever since Swapnali's body was found," ToI quoted deputy commissioner of Police (Zone V) R Raja, who said that the preliminary probe indicates that this was a murder.

As for Umesh, it has been established that he was not in Pune at the time of the crime.

"The nail marks and injuries on the woman's neck are likely the result of her being strangulated by the accused," said Ashwini Rakh, Hadapsar division's assistant commissioner of police, after inspecting the crime scene.

Umesh and Swapnali had been married for around four years now and were living in a rented apartment, which did neither have a security guard nor any CCTV. Cops said they were examining the CCTV footage from the cameras installed on the road leading up to the couple's building.

Cops reportedly said that the suspect was a frequent visitor at the couple's house and would even stay over with them sometimes. A police canine traced a path and some fingerprints at the crime scene.

ACP Rakh said the suspect was not found at his home in the same town Ghondalenagar. Police officials said that an FIR under charges of murder and robbery has been registered based on a complaint from Umesh.