How Pune Police Cracked the Hammer Murder Case Through Digital Investigation
In a remarkable display of investigative persistence, the Pune City Police successfully solved the brutal murder of an unidentified homeless woman by meticulously analyzing footage from 240 CCTV cameras spanning 55 kilometers from Pune to Chakan. The breakthrough not only led to the arrest of two suspects but also helped solve two additional crimes committed by one of the accused.
The Crime That Stumped Investigators
On the morning of December 9, 2023, police discovered the body of a middle-aged woman under a makeshift cloth tent along the road connecting Pasalkar Chowk and Gangadham Chowk in Pune. The initial investigation revealed the victim had been bludgeoned to death with a hammer, presenting investigators with multiple challenges from the outset.
The case began with no initial clues, no witnesses, and no information about the victim's identity. The woman remained unidentified for much of the investigation, which significantly hampered early progress. Later, authorities identified her as a resident of Gangakhed town in Maharashtra's Parbhani district who had been living on Pune's streets.
The Digital Manhunt: Scanning 240 Cameras for Clues
Unit 5 of the Crime Branch, led by Inspector Mahesh Bolkotgi, launched a parallel investigation with the Bibwewadi police team. They began by examining CCTV cameras installed in the vicinity of the crime scene, focusing on footage from the time prior to the estimated time of death.
"We only had CCTV cameras to look at and most of it was very grainy," explained Inspector Bolkotgi, who now heads the Shivajinagar police station. "Our team had to search for subtle clues through the movement of suspects and sift for leads buried amid noise."
The investigation team, which included Assistant Inspector Krushna Babar, sub-inspectors Avinash Lahote and Chaitali Gapat, and constabulary staff, painstakingly reviewed footage over a distance of 55 kilometers. Their systematic approach eventually helped them zero in on two suspects and trace their movements backward in time through the CCTV network.
Breakthrough and Additional Crimes Uncovered
Once the police activated their ground network, they identified the suspects as Ravisingh Chitodia, a 29-year-old Nashik native residing in Yewale Wadi, and Vijay Patil, a 32-year-old native of Palghar. Both men were unemployed at the time of their arrest.
The investigation revealed that Chitodia had met Patil at a country-made liquor joint in Pune's Katraj area. After getting drunk, Patil suffered a fall and head injury. The two obtained first aid items from a local drug store and slept on the roadside near the woman's makeshift tent.
Early on December 9, the men allegedly made advances toward the woman, which she resisted. During the ensuing scuffle, the woman scratched Chitodia before the two men attacked and killed her using a hammer that was lying nearby.
Further investigation uncovered that the motorbike and two mobile phones recovered from Chitodia were stolen property. The bike and one phone were stolen from Kamshet, while the second phone was snatched from a person in Nashik.
The police subsequently filed a chargesheet against both men in connection with the murder. They remain in judicial custody pending trial. The case stands as a testament to how meticulous digital investigation can overcome the challenges of unidentified victims and absence of eyewitnesses in criminal cases.
