Pune: Retired Army Man Allegedly Strangles Wife To Death, Tries To Kill 17-Year-Old Son

Pune: Anger over his wife’s refusal to speak to his sisters allegedly turned fatal when a retired Army personnel allegedly strangled her to death at their home in Khed taluka. The suspect allegedly tried to kill his 17-year-old son after the boy discovered his mother’s body and confronted him.

The deceased has been identified as Deepa Mahendra Daundkar (40), a resident of Sangam Garden on Wada Road in Khed taluka. Her son, Arthav Mahendra Daundkar (17), lodged a complaint with the Khed police, following which a murder case was registered against his father, Mahendra Shivaji Daundkar.

According to the police, Arthav lived with his parents. Mahendra had retired from the Army in 2019 and was working as a security guard at a private company in Vishrantwadi. The family lived in a society where Arthav’s maternal grandparents and uncle’s family also resided.

Police said Mahendra’s sisters, Shobha Rode, who lives in Airoli, Thane, and Kalpana Chaudhary, who resides in Kharegaon-Kalwa, Mumbai, allegedly did not share good relations with Deepa. Deepa had stopped speaking to them, which frequently led to arguments between the couple. On March 22, Mahendra had allegedly left the house without informing anyone following an argument over the issue but later returned.

On Sunday night, August 30, Arthav had dinner with his parents around 9 pm. Deepa was washing utensils while Mahendra was sitting inside the house. Arthav later went to meet his friend Rugved Pokharkar on the third floor of the society.

Around 11.30 pm, Arthav came to know that his mother had made a missed call to his friend’s mother, Sushma Pokharkar, and returned home. Mahendra opened the door and allegedly told him not to wake his mother as she had taken a tablet and gone to sleep.

Arthav then went into the bedroom and found the lights switched off and Deepa covered with a blanket. When she did not respond despite his attempts to wake her, he touched her and found that her body was cold. After switching on the light, he noticed that her face had turned dark blue and marks were visible on her neck.

Mahendra allegedly entered the bedroom immediately afterwards, locked the door from inside and tried to attack Arthav. The teenager managed to push him aside, opened the door and rushed into the hall shouting for help.

Police said Mahendra then allegedly picked up two knives from the kitchen and threatened Arthav, warning him that he would stab him if he raised an alarm. He allegedly attempted to stab the teenager in the abdomen. While trying to defend himself, Arthav sustained a cut on his thumb.

Arthav ran towards the hall and raised an alarm. His maternal uncle, grandparents, brother and aunt, who had arrived outside the house, tried to restrain Mahendra. The suspect allegedly pushed his father-in-law and escaped by jumping over the compound railing into an adjoining agricultural field.

Arthav and his family members rushed Deepa to Chandoli Government Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Mahendra fled the spot. The Khed police have registered a murder case and are searching for the suspect. Further investigation is underway.