Kolhapur, December 31: A 42-year-old woman lost her life on Thursday afternoon, December 28, as she resisted a sexual assault attempt by a tractor driver in Bhadwan village, Kolhapur's Ajara tehsil. The accused, identified as 46-year-old Yogesh Patil, became agitated when the woman resisted his advances. In a horrifying turn of events, Patil strangled the woman and attempted to conceal the crime by dumping her body in a sugar cane field, subsequently setting the field ablaze.

As per a report by the Times of India, the gruesome incident occurred at 1:30 pm in a sugar cane farm on the stream banks between Bhadwan and Bhadwanwadi villages. Patil, who had been trailing the victim from her home, attempted to assault her in the sugar cane field sexually. When the woman resisted, he resorted to strangling her. In an attempt to conceal the crime, Patil dumped the woman's lifeless body in the sugar cane field and set it ablaze around 5 pm. Maharashtra Fire: Six Workers Suffocate to Death in Sleep As Factory in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Burns (Watch Video).

The police initially registered a case of suspicious death of an unknown woman, later identified as the victim. According to the report, Local Crime Branch investigator Sameer Kamble played a pivotal role in solving the case by examining CCTV footage, which revealed Patil following the woman on her way to the stream. Further scrutiny showed Patil on the same road stretch multiple times. Maharashtra Road Accident: Two Dead, 55 Injured As Bus Overturns In the Tamhani Ghat of Raigad (See Pics).

Assistant inspector Sunil Harugude explained, "The suspect assisted in extinguishing the farm fire and removing the victim's burnt body, pretending to be unaware of the incident. However, upon arrest and interrogation, he confessed to the crime." The Ajara police, led by Additional SP Rajeev Navale, arrested the accused at the crime scene. The investigative team includes assistant inspector Sunil Harugude, sub-inspector Kumar Dhere, assistant police officer Bajirao Kamble, and others. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover additional details surrounding this tragic and heinous crime.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2023 05:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).