Raigad Crime: 71-Year-Old Woman Murdered Inside Flat In Khopoli, Gold Ornaments Worth ₹3.5 Lakh Stolen; Probe Underway

Khopoli, November 12, 2026: A 71-year-old woman was allegedly murdered inside her flat in Khopoli in Raigad district on Wednesday evening, with gold ornaments worth approximately Rs 3.5 lakh stolen from her.

The accused allegedly tied her hands and legs, strangled her with a dupatta and smashed her head against the floor before fleeing with her gold mangalsutra and three bangles.

The deceased, identified as Maheshwari Ramachandran Panicker, had been living in the flat at Indraprastha Building in Bhanvaj village, Khopoli, for several years.

However, she had been staying alone for the past six months as her two sons and daughter are settled abroad. Her two brothers live in Khopoli, including one who resides in the same town.

Family Raises Alarm After Calls Go Unanswered

According to her brother, the family grew concerned when Maheshwari did not answer their phone calls from Wednesday morning. They went to her flat but found the door locked. After making inquiries at places she usually visited and failing to trace her, they approached the police.

The police subsequently tracked her mobile phone location to the flat. As the door was locked from outside, the police broke it open and found her body in the kitchen.

Kitchen Scene Suggests Murder During Cooking

The circumstances inside the kitchen have led the police to suspect that the murder took place while she was preparing lunch. Vegetables were found partially chopped and food was still in the cooker, indicating that she may have been interrupted while cooking.

The incident came to light on Wednesday evening, with relatives suspecting that the woman had been killed earlier in the day. The brother also said that since it was Diwali, several neighbours had travelled out of town, which may have meant that the crime went unnoticed.

A neighbour said Maheshwari would regularly chant devotional songs every morning, a routine familiar to residents of the building. However, the last time they heard her devotional songs was on Tuesday.

Accused Flees With Gold Ornaments

According to the police complaint, the unidentified accused entered the flat with the intention of committing theft, restrained Maheshwari by tying her hands and legs with cloth, strangled her with a dupatta and repeatedly hit her head against the floor, killing her.

The accused then took away her gold mangalsutra and three gold bangles before fleeing.

The stolen ornaments have been valued at approximately Rs 3.5 lakh. No arrests have been made so far.

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Khopoli Police Investigate Murder And Robbery

Khopoli police have registered a murder and robbery case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Senior Police Inspector Sachin Hire is investigating the case.

Senior police officers, including Additional Superintendent of Police Abhijit Shivthare and Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rahul Gaikwad, visited the spot.

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