Nagpur, October 22: In a case that echoes the plot of the popular Hindi thriller "Drishyam", 33-year-old army personnel Ajay Wankhede has been arrested for the chilling murder of his girlfriend, Jyotsna Akre. The crime took place near Butibori, Nagpur, where Wankhede allegedly killed Jyotsna after she persistently pressured him to marry her. To cover his tracks, he buried her body in a forest and disposed of her cell phone by tossing it into a passing truck, intending to mislead the police investigation.

The case came to light when 32-year-old victim Jyotsna Akre, was reported missing on August 29. Initially, her disappearance prompted a missing persons report filed by concerned friends and family. However, as the investigation unfolded, authorities shifted the focus from a simple missing person's case to a potential kidnapping when no leads materialised regarding her whereabouts. On September 17, the police registered a kidnapping case, intensifying their search for Jyotsna while questioning individuals close to her, including her boyfriend, Ajay Wankhede. Maharashtra Shocker: Man Bludgeons 2 People to Death With Wooden Plank, Injures 2 Others at Nagpur Railway Station; Arrested. 

According to a report by Times of India, Wankhede and Jyotsna had met through a matrimonial site, but their relationship turned complicated when she began pressing him for marriage. Wankhede, who was already married, found her demands increasingly difficult to manage. The couple had arranged to meet at a secluded location near Butibori, where he provided her with alcohol to incapacitate her before committing the act. After allegedly killing Jyotsna, Wankhede attempted to conceal his crime by burying her body in the forest. Maharashtra Shocker: 4-Year-Old Boy Dies After Falling into Manhole in Ahmednagar, Disturbing Video Surfaces.

He meticulously covered the grave with leaves, branches, and stones to blend it into the natural landscape, hoping it would go unnoticed. To further mislead investigators, he discarded Jyotsna’s cell phone into a passing truck on Wardha Road. The phone was eventually found and used by the truck driver, complicating the investigation as police initially believed Jyotsna might have eloped.

As the police delved deeper into the case, they scrutinised Wankhede's whereabouts and actions during the time of Jyotsna's disappearance. After several rounds of questioning, he initially denied involvement but ultimately broke down and confessed to the crime. He led the Beltarodi police to the burial site, where Jyotsna's body was exhumed for forensic examination.

Women and Child Helpline Numbers:

Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2024 05:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).