Pune: Mysterious Death Of Newly Selected Range Forest Officer At Rajgad Fort, Investigation Underway

Pune, 18th June 2023: A shocking incident of suspicious death has come to light at Sati Mal in Fort Rajgad foothills in Velhe taluka today morning.

The deceased, identified as Darshana Dutta Pawar, a 26-year-old newly selected Range Forest Officer in the MPSC examination, was reported missing since June 12.

The case came to the attention of the authorities when Darshana’s father, Datta Dinkar Pawar, lodged a complaint at Sinhagad Road Police Station regarding his daughter’s disappearance. Subsequently, a complaint was also filed at Velhe Police Station.

According to the information provided by the Velhe police, Darshana had visited a private academy in Pune on June 9 to receive an award. However, her family members became increasingly concerned when she did not respond to their calls the following day. It was later discovered that Darshana had gone to explore Sinhagad and Rajgad forts in the company of her friend Rahul Dattatreya Handore.

The search for Darshana intensified, and on Sunday, Gunjwani Gram Panchayat member Shivaji Bhosle detected a foul odor near Sati’s Mal at the foot of Rajgad fort. Upon inspection, a partially decomposed body was found. The authorities, including Assistant Police Inspector Manoj Pawar of Velhe Police Station and Darshana’s father, Dattatreya Pawar, were immediately informed.

During the subsequent investigation, Darshana’s personal belongings, including her mobile phone, purse, shoes, and bag, were discovered near the deceased’s body. Additionally, a bag and jacket belonging to Rahul Handore were also found. However, Rahul Handore himself remains missing, prompting the police to launch a search operation.

The body was transported to the base of the fort with the assistance of Gram Panchayat Deputy-Sarpanch Balasaheb Pawar, local resident Rahul Bandal, Santosh Patole, Home Guard Vijay Gohine, and Vikrant Gaikwad.

The police are currently conducting further investigations under the guidance of Assistant Police Inspector Manoj Pawar. The postmortem examination, which will shed light on the cause of death, is scheduled to take place at Sassoon Hospital in Pune. Authorities are considering all possibilities, including whether the injuries on Darshana’s body were caused by assault or animal attack.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural, Mitesh Gatte, affirmed that the Pune Rural Police are working to determine whether the incident was a sudden death or an accident.