Pune Court Sentences 74-Year-Old Man To Life For Brutally Killing Wife & Carrying Severed Head On Road

Pune: A Pune court has sentenced a 74-year-old man to life imprisonment for brutally murdering his wife and severing her head, hands and legs with an axe over suspicions about her character. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the convict. In default of payment, he will have to undergo an additional month of imprisonment.

The convicted accused has been identified as Ramchandra Shehu Chavan, a resident of the Bharti Vidyapeeth area opposite Ganga Ocean Park Society. He was found guilty of murdering his wife, Sonabai Ramchandra Chavan.

Incident Took Place 11 Years Ago…

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on 9th October 2015, around 11 am, in an open space under the jurisdiction of Bharti Vidyapeeth Police Station (under the Pune City Police Commissionerate). The accused worked as a security guard and frequently fought with his wife because he suspected her character.

On the day of the incident, Ramchandra Chavan allegedly attacked his wife with an axe. After killing her, he severed her head, both hands and both legs from the body. He later walked on the road carrying the severed head in one hand and the blood-stained axe in the other, shocking local residents.

About The Incident…

Public Prosecutor Premkumar Agarwal examined 24 witnesses during the trial. The most important testimony came from the accused’s daughter-in-law, Sunita Chavan, who witnessed the attack. Blood from the victim had reportedly splashed onto her clothes during the assault. Her statement became a key piece of evidence in the case.

A resident from a nearby building also witnessed the incident from a balcony. In another important development, a passerby recorded a video of the accused carrying the severed head on his mobile phone. Though the witness was working in Japan during the trial, the court recorded his testimony from Japan through video conferencing.

The prosecution also presented the testimony of a five-year-old girl who identified the accused as "Anna".

Accused’s Reason Behind Carrying The Severed Head…

During the trial, the accused claimed that someone else had committed the murder and that he was only carrying the severed head and axe to the police station out of fear. He also alleged that his daughter-in-law had falsely implicated him in the case.

However, the court rejected his defence after the prosecution produced technical evidence, forensic reports, blood samples and witness testimonies. The prosecution also proved before the court that the accused had confessed to the crime to a woman on the road shortly after the murder.

According to the case details, while walking with the severed head and axe, the accused was stopped by a woman who asked him, “Anna, where did you slaughter the goat?” The accused allegedly replied, “I killed my wife.” The court accepted this statement as an important piece of evidence while convicting him.