Pune: Man Arrested for Strangling Wife After Month-Long Manhunt
Shirur, 14 March 2025: In a shocking murder case, the Shirur Police have arrested a man who strangled his wife to death and remained on the run for a month. The accused was finally traced and arrested after an extensive search operation.
On the night of 11 February 2025, Mauli alias Jaleshwar Atmaram Gangurde (a sugarcane harvester from Dadpimpri, Chalisgaon, Jalgaon district) allegedly strangled his 27-year-old wife, Minabai Dnyaneshwar Gangurde, with a rope in Ganegaon Khalsa, Shirur. The murder reportedly occurred after Minabai refused to accompany him to a relative’s wedding in Nashik.
Following the crime, Gangurde fled the scene, prompting the Shirur Police to launch a manhunt. Given the seriousness of the case, Superintendent of Police (SP) Pankaj Deshmukh instructed officers to ensure the accused was tracked down and arrested at the earliest.
Under the leadership of Police Inspector Mahadev Waghmode, three teams were deployed to search for the accused in areas including Malthan, Pimpri Dumal, and nearby sugar factories. The teams also searched Sangamner, Kopargaon, and Shrigonda, investigating sugarcane harvesters, hoteliers, and local farmers, but found no leads. The search later expanded to Pachora district, Jalgaon, and Gangurde’s native village.
After weeks of investigation, police received confidential information that the accused would visit his native village, Tadpiparni in Chalisgaon, Jalgaon. Acting swiftly, Police Inspector Waghmode dispatched a team comprising Assistant Faujdar Dattatray Shinde, Constables Santosh Auti, Pravin Pithale, and Yogesh Pund. The team
successfully apprehended Gangurde on 12 March 2025.
Since the murder, Gangurde had been avoiding all digital traces, including mobile phone usage, making it extremely difficult for law enforcement to track him. However, after an intensive month-long operation, police finally succeeded in arresting him.
The accused is currently in police custody, and further investigation is underway.
