Pune: A 34-year-old woman who had reportedly kept her return from the United Kingdom a secret from her family was found dead inside her rented apartment in Pune's Gahunje area on Thursday. Her whereabouts came to light after her parents noticed food delivery and online service transactions in her bank account, prompting them to suspect that she had returned to India.
The deceased, identified as Mugdha Deshmukh, originally from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, had travelled to the UK in July 2025 to pursue an MBA. Although her family believed she was still living in London, she had reportedly returned to India in August without informing them.
Lived alone in London
According to the police, Mugdha was living alone in London and had also taken up part-time jobs. Her family remained in contact with her through phone calls and messages. However, their attempts to reach her went unanswered on October 24, and her mobile phone was subsequently found switched off.
Complaint lodged with Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police
In a complaint lodged with Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police earlier this week, her father, Avinash Deshmukh, stated that the family had contacted one of her friends in London. The friend reportedly said that Mugdha's last communication with her had been through messages on October 22.
The friend also approached the London police to report her missing. However, she was informed that Mugdha had left the UK towards the end of August.
As concerns over her whereabouts grew, the family approached Indian authorities and the Indian High Commission for assistance. Her father also examined her bank statements and noticed multiple transactions involving food delivery and online service platforms between October 8 and 25.
Online transactions in India
One of the transactions was suspected to have originated in the Osmanpura area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, strengthening the family's suspicion that she might have returned to India. They subsequently sought help from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Crime Branch, fearing for her safety.
Police traced her location to the Lodha Belmondo residential complex in Gahunje, Pimpri-Chinchwad. A team from Shirgaon Police Station reached the apartment and entered it with the assistance of a keymaker, where they discovered her body.
"After tracing her location, we reached the flat where she was staying. With the help of a keymaker, we gained entry and found her dead inside," said Senior Inspector Devendra Chavan of Shirgaon Police Station.
No visible external injury marks
Police said there were no visible external injury marks on the body. Her viscera has been preserved and sent for examination to establish the exact cause of death.
During the investigation, police also found that Mugdha had rented the apartment in April but started living there only after returning from the UK in August. Further investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death is underway.
