Pune Police on Monday arrested a man in connection with the murder case of a 30-year-old research scholar of the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) whose body was found near the Sus area in the city on Saturday, an officer said.
When asked about the possible motive behind the crime, he said the deceased Sudarshan Pandit and the accused man, who is in his 30s, were dating each other.
"However, both of them had a spat 15 days ago as Sudarshan Pandit was going to get married. Prima facie, the accused thought that Pandit would go away from him and killed him," the officer said.
Pandit's body was found with his face smashed.
He said the accused attempted suicide by leaving a note after Pandit's death but survived.
"He was admitted to a private hospital for treatment.
It seems he has direct involvement in the case. He and the deceased came into contact with each other through a dating website. They were in love," the officer said.
He said the deceased was spotted moving with someone near the Pashan hill area on the day of the incident.
The accused hails from the Hingoli district but was currently staying in Warje Malwadi in Pune, he added.
"We have arrested him for the murder of Sudarshan Pandit and further investigation is underway," the officer added,
The NCL, located in the Pashan area of Pune, is a research and development organisation of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) which focuses on chemistry, biology and chemical engineering.
