Nashik News: Leopard Follows Peacock to Kill, Both Die Due to Electrocution; NCP Youth Distributes School Materials And More | File
What was initially termed as a death due to human-animal conflict in Kadethan village of Daund tehsil, Pune district, has now been revealed as a murder by Pune Rural Police after months of investigation.
As per a report by The Indian Express, the woman was murdered by her husband’s nephew, according to the police investigation.
The deceased has been identified as Latabai Baban Dhawade, 50. She was found murdered in a sugarcane field on the afternoon of December 7 last year.
The accused has been identified as Anil Popat Dhawade, 40, who is the nephew of the deceased’s husband. He was aided by Satilal Valmik More, 30, a laborer working for the Dhawade family.
Here’s how cops caught him
According to the report, although the initial investigation pointed towards a leopard attack, the investigators’ suspicion grew after they spotted a bloodied rock. Later, the crime came to light after the forensic report ruled out an animal attack, and the police identified the real culprit.
Daund and Junar areas are infamous for human-animal conflict, specifically the leopard menace. After the death, there was a huge uproar over the issue, prompting the police to carry out a parallel and discreet investigation. Narayangaon Police have arrested the accused and are investigating the case further.
To make it look like a leopard attack, scratch marks were inflicted on her body after she was bludgeoned to death.
Recently, the forest department has also installed Artificial Intelligence (AI)-equipped cameras at vantage points. These cameras can detect leopards, and the system triggers a siren that alerts forest officials.
