A spine-chilling murder reminiscent of the film ‘Drishyam’ has been reported in Nagpur. An Army jawan is alleged to have killed his girlfriend in a secluded area after administering her a sedative. The accused, confessed to the crime, detailed how he dug a grave in the dead of night and concealed the body before covering it with cement. Beltarodi police have arrested Ajay Anand Wankhede (33), a resident of Kailash Nagar, Nagpur, who is an Indian Army jawan stationed in Nagaland. The deceased woman has been identified as Jyotsna Prabhakar Aakre (32). She was employed at Zen Automobile near Bole petrol pump on Amravati Road. Jyotsna had been married in 2019 but had since obtained a divorce. Sources said that Ajay and Jyotsna met on Shadi.com and quickly became friends. Their friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship, during which Ajay promised Jyotsna marriage. However, his family members denied permission for the same. When Ajay stopped answering Jyotsna’s calls, she began searching for him and managed to contact a close friend of his.

 

After spending a day with her, this friend informed Jyotsna of Ajay’s where abouts. The friend also conveyed to Ajay that Jyotsna was looking for him. Alarmed by the situation, Ajay called Jyotsna using his mother’s mobile phone and invited her to meet on Wardha Road on August 28. Jyotsna informed her family that she was staying with a friend that day and would return home after finishing her duties the next day. Ajay and Jyotsna met in the Wardha Road area and checked in into a hotel. Later, they left the hotel and drove to a nearby toll plaza, where Ajay offered Jyotsna a drink laced with a sedative. After consuming the drink, Jyotsna fell unconscious. Ajay then strangled her to death and drove to a secluded area, where he dug a pit at night, dumped her body, and covered it with cement. When Jyotsna did not return home, her family reported her missing to Beltarodi Police on August 29. An investigation was launched, and a case of abduction was registered on September 17. During the investigation, police checked the call detail records and found regular phone calls between Ajay and Jyotsna. They summoned Ajay for questioning. Sensing trouble, Ajay sought medical attention for high blood pressure at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune.

 

Meanwhile, he applied for anticipatory bail in the Sessions Court in Nagpur, but his plea was rejected. He then approached the High Court, which also denied his application; Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke rejected his bail application on September 15. Adv Shreerang Bhandarkar and Adv S P Sonwane appeared for Ajay in the High Court. Following the rejection of his anticipatory bail, the Beltarodi Police arrested Ajay Wankhede. In police custody, Ajay confessed to the crime and revealed the location of the crime scene. Beltarodi Police, led by DCP Zone IV Rashmita Rao and Senior Police Inspector Mukunda Kawade, along with 2nd PI Rupali Bawankar and ASI Rajesh Ghuge, who had been pursuing the case for a month, reached the site with forensic experts and exhumed the body parts. 

 

 

While admitted to the Armed Forces Hospital in Pune, a team from the Beltarodi Police Station went to arrest Ajay Wankhede. However, while the police were waiting for him at the hospital reception, Wankhede managed to escape by jumping off a window. Later, he was arrested by Beltarodi Police in Nagpur.