Pune: 73-Year-Old Man Gets Life Imprisonment for Killing Wife, Carrying Severed Head on Road
Pune, 7th May 2026: Nearly 11 years after a gruesome murder in Pune’s Katraj area shocked the city, a sessions court on Tuesday sentenced a 73-year-old former watchman to life imprisonment for killing his wife and roaming on a public road with her severed head.
Additional Sessions Judge Sumit G. Joshi convicted Ramchandra Shehu Chavan of murder and related offences under the Indian Penal Code, observing that the prosecution had successfully established the case through eyewitness testimonies, medical evidence, CCTV footage and other supporting material. The court also imposed a fine of ₹5,000 on the convict.
The incident took place on October 9, 2015, when Chavan allegedly attacked his wife with an axe outside their residence following a domestic dispute. According to the prosecution, he suspected her of having an illicit relationship with their son-in-law, which frequently led to quarrels between the couple.
Investigators said the accused repeatedly assaulted the victim with the weapon, causing fatal injuries before severing her head. After the attack, he allegedly walked for nearly 500 metres carrying both the axe and the severed head on a busy road in the Katraj locality, triggering panic among residents and passersby.
Police were alerted after local residents and motorists informed the control room and nearby traffic personnel about the disturbing sight. Teams from Bharati Vidyapeeth police station and traffic police rushed to the area. On noticing the police, Chavan reportedly threw away the axe and the severed head before surrendering.
During the investigation, police found the victim’s mutilated body inside the house. The accused’s daughter-in-law and her two minor children were also discovered locked inside the residence. The daughter-in-law later told the court that she had witnessed the assault and was confined when she attempted to intervene.
The postmortem examination recorded 26 ante-mortem injuries on the victim’s body, including multiple chop wounds and amputations, confirming that the death was homicidal.
While delivering the verdict, the court relied on statements from eyewitnesses, including neighbours who reportedly saw the accused attacking the victim and dismembering the body. The prosecution also presented CCTV footage, video recordings and blood-stained clothes seized during the probe to strengthen its case.
The court held that the evidence presented during the trial clearly linked the accused to the crime and proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
