Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): On the morning of December 4, 2020, 32-year-old Udbhav Joshi left home in Bhopal for work, just as he did every day. Calm, soft-spoken, and known for his discipline, Udbhav worked as an accountant with a telecom company.
By evening, when he didn’t return, his family grew anxious. His elder brother, Anubhav, searched across the city but found no trace. The next morning, a missing person complaint was filed at Bagsevania police station.
Two days later, a gruesome discovery shocked the city. A plastic sack dumped in an empty plot near Minakshi Planet City contained a decomposing body. Twisted tightly around the neck was a cooler’s three-pin socket wire. An ID card in his pocket confirmed the victim as Udbhav.
ASP Rajesh Singh Bhadoria led the investigation. First, police found Udbhav’s scooter abandoned near a petrol pump. Then, while scanning his financial records, they found two ATM withdrawals totalling Rs 40,000 made after his disappearance. That small detail turned into the first crucial clue.
ATM surveillance footage revealed a familiar face — Abhijeet Sakalle, son of a retired income tax officer and Udbhav’s close friend, who had previously worked at the same telecom company.
Brought in for questioning, Abhijeet tried to mislead investigators but broke under sustained interrogation. He confessed to murdering his friend. Months earlier, he had lost his job, but his friendship with Udbhav continued. On December 4, Abhijeet invited him home in Rameshwaram Extension. His parents were at a wedding, and his brother was away.
Inside his room, while drinking, the two argued over a mutual female friend. The fight escalated, and Abhijeet strangled Udbhav with the cooler wire. He stuffed the body into a plastic sack and dumped it in the empty plot. Later, he withdrew money using Udbhav’s ATM card to create confusion.
Blot on friendship: Pic drunken rage 2
Victim: Udbhav Joshi, 32, accountant
Clue: Rs 40,000 withdrawn post disappearance
Accused: Abhijeet Sakalle, friend and ex-colleague
Motive: Argument over mutual female friend.
