Pune: Life Imprisonment And Fine For Love Triangle Murderers
Pune, 29th August 2023: The court has handed down life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1.85 lakh to five individuals responsible for the murder of a police officer’s son twelve years ago, in a case involving a love triangle. The verdict was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge K.P. Nandedkar, finally bringing a sense of closure and justice to the police officer’s family.
The convicts have been identified as Praveen Dattatreya Chougule (25), Yashwant Ranchandra Khamkar (24), Anil Bahiru Ajgekar (21), Gotya, also known as Devendra Ashok Mane (20), and Ramesh Rangalya Devdurg (20), all residents of Kolhapur.
The victim, Prateek Pramod Jagtap (19), a resident of Dhanori, was brutally murdered on September 26, 2011, in the Shikarpur Canal Road area. Notably, Prateek’s father was associated with the State Intelligence Department (SID). Following the heinous crime, a case was registered against the accused at the Vishrantwadi police station.
Public Prosecutor Rajesh Kavediya effectively handled the case, highlighting that the motive behind the murder was rooted in a complex love triangle. Acknowledging this, the court explicitly mentioned the term “love triangle” in its verdict.
In the delivered judgment, the court also ordered the payment of Rs 1.50 lakh as compensation to Prateek’s grieving family, utilizing a portion of the imposed fine. Crucial evidence in the case included Call Detail Records (CDRs) and Toll Detail Records (TDRs), which played a pivotal role in establishing the guilt of the accused. The investigation revealed that on the day of the incident, Praveen had lured Prateek to the airport parking gate under false pretenses. Subsequently, Prateek was abducted, strangled to death within a vehicle, and his remains were disposed of in a nearby bush after being set ablaze, all in an attempt to eliminate any traces of the crime.
The chain of events leading to the murder can be traced back to a romantic involvement between Soni (pseudonym), who was romantically linked with Prateek. The revelation of this relationship at Prateek’s residence prompted his mother to confront Soni and urge her to end the relationship. In response, Soni eloped with Prateek, with the intention of getting married and building a life together. Both of them took up part-time jobs in a BPO, where Soni crossed paths with Praveen.
This encounter led to Soni and Praveen living together as a couple. However, a twist emerged when Praveen proposed marriage to Soni, who then disclosed her ongoing affair with Prateek. This revelation acted as a catalyst, prompting Praveen to orchestrate a plan to eliminate Prateek, enlisting the assistance of his accomplices.
The five accused had traveled from Ichalkaranji to Pune with the intention of carrying out the murder. The investigation uncovered call records and location data, tracing the movements of the accused up to Shikrapur. Further evidence emerged from toll booths along the Ichalkaranji to Pune and Pune to Ichalkaranji routes, exposing their coordinated activities. The investigation further established a link between the location from which a message was sent from Prateek’s mobile phone and the location of the primary accused’s mobile device, ultimately cementing their involvement in the crime.
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