A Maharashtra Security Forces (MSF) jawan, Rohit Janardan Patil (27), allegedly killed his lover by strangling her with a nylon rope before taking his own life with the same rope after a heated argument on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred at a house in Nidi village, Roha taluka, in Raigad district. Patil had completed his police training and was awaiting his posting as an MSF jawan.
House Details and Victim's Background
The house belongs to Laxman Gadekar, a Mumbai resident who had passed away. Gadekar's family, residing in Thane, had appointed the victim Tanvi Ganesh Taadkar’s (20) mother as a caretaker to maintain the house, as they only visited during vacations.
Police Investigation and Legal Proceedings
Roha police have registered a murder case against Patil. An Abated-Summary (A-summary) report will be submitted to the Roha JMFC court to officially terminate criminal proceedings against the deceased accused, police informed.
Maruti Patil, senior police inspector of Roha, stated that the murder case was filed based on a complaint by Namdev Madhavi (42), who is Taadkar's uncle-in-law. According to the complainant, he was aware that the two had been in a love relationship for about five years, and Patil frequently visited her house.
Sequence of Events
Since Taadkar’s mother Geeta was the caretaker of Gadekar's house, the victim would accompany her mother and elder sister for cleaning. On Tuesday around 9 pm, the victim’s elder sister Namasvi contacted Madhavi, saying Taadkar had gone alone to Gadekar's house for cleaning but had not returned home until late. Namasvi and her mother Geeta went to check on her, but both the rear and front doors were locked from inside, and Taadkar did not respond to their calls. Namasvi then requested her uncle Madhavi to come immediately.
SPI Patil said, "The complainant stated that when they reached Gadekar's house and he opened the sliding window to peep inside, he saw the accused hanging from the ceiling fan with a nylon rope around his neck. Madhavi tried to break open the front door by kicking, but it did not open. When he repeatedly kicked the rear door, the inside door bolt came off. They entered and found the victim lying motionless on the bedroom floor. Madhavi alerted the village police, who informed Roha police. The couple was declared brought dead at Roha sub-district hospital."
Motive Behind the Incident
Police revealed that from WhatsApp messages exchanged between the couple, it was learned that the accused was annoyed with her due to her hostile behavior, likely suspecting her fidelity. On Tuesday evening, he texted her wanting to meet and talk. Taadkar replied, calling him to Gadekar's house. When they met, the accused bolted the front and rear doors from inside. A heated argument ensued, and in a fit of rage, the accused allegedly strangled Taadkar and then committed suicide.
