Pol’s assistant may have been his next target: Police

PUNE: The police, who have arrested Jyoti Mandhare, Santosh Pol’s nurse and assistant, for her alleged complicity in one of the six murders, believe that Pol may

PUNE: The police, who have arrested Jyoti Mandhare, Santosh Pol’s nurse and assistant, for her alleged complicity in one of the six murders, believe that Pol may have been planning to kill her as well.

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The discovery of two pits at Pol’s farmhouse on Wednesday raised the police’s suspicion that Mandhare was to be his next victim.

Mandhare is in police custody on charges of kidnapping of anganwadi worker Mangala Jedhe, Pol’s last victim. The police will file fresh charges against her following the unearthing of Jedhe’s body from Pol’s farmhouse and make her a co-accused in Jedhe’s murder.

The police have learnt that Mandhare worked with Pol for almost two years, during which time he allegedly killed Jedhe.

Mandhare alleged involvement in the case came to the light when the police examined call records from her and Jedhe’s cell phones. Jedhe’s call records showed her last call was from Mandhare’s phone.

Mandhare initially pleaded ignorance but later told the police that Pol had used her phone to talk to Jedhe.

It was on the basis of this information that the police arrested Pol.

Investigators suspect that Pol may have been planning to kill Mandhare as she knew too much. “Jyoti must have known too much. This was not good for Santosh,” said a police officer privy to with the investigation.

According to the police, Mandhare was deeply influenced by Pol and followed all his directions. They said Pol instigated her to threaten the police with self-immolation if they continued to harass the two. Mandhare had allegedly threatened to set herself on fire in front of Wai tehsil court, which is located in a busy market.