Financial Dispute Led to Murder of Beautician in Mundhwa, say Pune police; Accused Arrested

Pune, 9th May 2026: The crime branch unit of Pune police have solved the murder case of a 29-year-old beautician whose body was found near a garbage depot in the Keshanagar area and a 44-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the crime.

The accused has been identified as Gorakhnath Deorao Shinde (44), a resident of Chandan Nagar in Pune.

According to police, the body of Afreen Salim Pathan (29), a resident of Wadgaon Sheri, was found near a garbage dumping site in the Keshavnagar area of Mundhwa between May 5 and May 6. Based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s sister, Mundhwa police had registered a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on May 7.

During the investigation, officials from the crime branch’s dacoity and vehicle theft squad were simultaneously probing the case using technical analysis and surveillance inputs. Police said the accused was identified and taken into custody during the course of the investigation.

According to police, the accused and the victim had known each other for nearly a year and had developed a friendship.

Police said Afreen had allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh from the accused on May 2. On May 5 around 8.30 pm, the two met near Kharadi bypass and later travelled in the accused’s Maruti Swift Dzire car towards the Khulewadi area near HDFC Bank.

Police said an argument broke out between them over a financial dispute. Police claimed the accused had brought Rs 50,000 with him, but the victim allegedly insisted on receiving Rs 1 lakh and threatened to reveal details of their relationship to his family.

Following the argument, the accused allegedly strangled the woman in a fit of rage inside the car, police said. He later allegedly dumped the body near the garbage depot in Keshavnagar, Mundhwa.

Further investigation is underway.