“Each life has its personal story. However persons are to listen to that story solely when it’s a success story,” a proudly smiling Darshana Pawar could be heard saying from a podium in a video recorded on June 10, 2023. “I imagine that behind each failure is a person falling quick, however behind each success there are efforts of many.”
Pawar, 26, was addressing a gathering at a ceremony organised by her aggressive exams teaching institute in Pune, the place she was felicitated for clearing a Maharashtra Public Service Fee (MPSC) examination and securing the submit of vary forest officer. On June 12, Darshana was reported lacking after telling pals she was going for a trek with Rahul Handore, 28, her childhood buddy and fellow civil companies aspirant. Handore was additionally lacking, prompting each households to register separate lacking individuals instances.
Six days later, on June 18, Pawar’s partially decomposed physique was discovered close to the bottom of Raigad Fort, close to Pune, with a number of stab wounds and accidents from blunt objects. A large homicide investigation was launched by the Pune rural police, drawing important consideration throughout the state.
The primary decisive clue
CCTV footage from an eatery in Gunjavane village, close to the fort’s base, supplied police with the primary decisive clue, shifting suspicion in the direction of Handore. The footage confirmed Handore and Pawar heading in the direction of the fort on a motorbike, however solely Handore returned a while in a while June 12. Additional elevating suspicion was Handore’s subsequent disappearance. 4 days after Pawar’s physique was found, the police arrested Handore on the Andheri railway station in Mumbai. He had allegedly bludgeoned Pawar with rocks and inflicted accidents with a cutter he had introduced alongside on their trek. Investigations revealed it was a brutal crime of ardour; Handore allegedly murdered her after she rejected his marriage proposal.
From childhood pals to civil service aspirants in similar circles
Handore and Pawar had recognized one another since childhood, as his house in Shaha village, Nashik, was reverse that of Pawar’s maternal uncle. Their households are distantly associated. Handore holds a BSc in Botany and, like Pawar, had been making ready for varied aggressive exams, primarily these carried out by the MPSC. Each have been a part of the identical research circles in Pune, the place Handore resided in Karvenagar whereas Pawar, who held an MSc in Arithmetic, would journey from her hometown in Ahmednagar for her preparations.
In March 2023, Pawar cleared the MPSC examination for the submit of vary forest officer. Handore, in the meantime, had made 4 unsuccessful makes an attempt at MPSC exams, clearing the prelims twice however failing on the mains. Each hailed from financially deprived backgrounds; Pawar’s father labored as a driver for a sugar mill in Kopargaon, Ahmednagar, whereas Handore’s father offered newspapers in Nashik. In Pune, Handore labored part-time, together with for a meals supply app, whereas making ready for varied exams.
Shifting on trains to throw the probe off the observe
Days after his arrest, the police recovered the cutter utilized by Handore and the motorcycle he and Pawar had taken to Raigad Fort on June 12, 2023. On the crime scene additionally they discovered rocks that bore traces of blood. Investigations revealed that Handore had anticipated police monitoring him after he fled and had guessed the strikes investigators would make to arrest him.
A while after the homicide, Handore left Pune, first boarding a prepare to Sangli, then travelling to Margao in Goa, adopted by Chandigarh, and eventually Howrah in West Bengal, all by prepare. Police officers stated that whereas his actions appeared random, they have been intentionally deliberate to evade seize. All through his journey, he saved his cellphone switched off.
Superior intelligence results in arrest
Throughout this journey, Handore maintained contact along with his household, making a minimum of 5 calls from borrowed telephones. When the police referred to as these numbers again, they have been knowledgeable of a person travelling on trains and asking for assist to contact his household and, on events, meals. Though the police may hint the places of those calls, they kept away from sending groups, anticipating his continued motion. A breakthrough occurred when the police obtained superior details about his arrival on the Andheri station, which was corroborated by a technical lead. Handore was arrested whereas making ready to depart for Pune from the Andheri station.
An officer from Welha police station stated Handore is in judicial custody awaiting trial. The police have filed a chargesheet within the case and costs towards him have been framed.
