Pune Shocker: Teen Girl Orchestrates Mother’s Murder To Hide ‘Theft’ From Her Bank Account

Wadgaonsheri, 10th April 2024: An 18-year-old girl, along with her friend, was arrested on Monday on charges of brutally murdering her mother (45) with a hammer while the victim was asleep in their residence at Wadgaonsheri around 5:30 a.m. on April 1.

The arrested girl had been clandestinely operating her mother’s bank account, surreptitiously withdrawing Rs 2.5 lakh without her mother’s knowledge. Fearing reprimand from her mother for this deceit, she enlisted the help of her friend to carry out the heinous act, the police revealed.

Identified as Yoshita Gokhale and her friend and neighbor, Yash Shitole, by the Chandannagar police station, the duo attempted to pass off the victim, Mangal Gokhale’s demise as the result of a head injury sustained in a purported fall in the washroom.

Mangal, who earned her livelihood as a domestic help, was survived by her daughter, Yoshita, who had recently cleared her Standard XII exams, and her unemployed friend, Yash, an ITI passout.

Initially registered as an accidental death case, the investigation by the police revealed suspicious circumstances. Senior Inspector Manisha Patil of the Chandannagar police stated, “Mangal’s body was handed over to her relatives, and the final rites were conducted in Mumbai, where her parents reside. Yoshita had been residing with them since then.”

Patil further elaborated, “There were significant reasons for us to doubt the accidental fall theory, given the nature of the head injury, which appeared to be caused by a blunt object. Additionally, Yoshita’s initial claim of being alone when her mother fell, and her subsequent shifting of her mother from the bathroom to the bedroom, lacked substantial evidence. There were no signs of bloodstains or indications of movement when our team inspected the scene.”

Sub-Inspector Tanaji Shegar of the Chandannagar police disclosed, “Yoshita confessed during questioning that she had squandered the Rs 2.5 lakh withdrawn from her mother’s account on shopping and leisure activities with her friend. Fearful of her mother’s reaction and demand for reimbursement, the two conspired to eliminate her. In the early hours of April 1, Yash entered Yoshita’s residence while her mother slept, wielding a hammer found within the house to carry out the fatal assault. The murder weapon was subsequently seized from the crime scene following the interrogation of the accused duo.”