Pune: Man arrested for alleged rape and murder of 71-year-old woman

A 71-year-old woman was allegedly raped and murdered in her house in a village in Pune district on Sunday night.

Within hours after the incident came to light on Monday morning, police arrested a 53-year-old labourer residing near the victim’s house, who is alleged to have killed her after she resisted his advances and raped her as she became unresponsive because of the assault, police probe revealed.

The incident was reported to the police on Monday morning when the woman, who lived alone, was found dead in a pool of blood.

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Preliminary probe has pointed to rape and death because of a blow on the head with a blunt object. Police found a metal pipe used to blow air to the hearth, which is suspected to have been used to hit the woman on her head.

Police said their probe also suggested that the attack had taken place on Sunday night.

A sniffer dog and a forensics team were called who combed the crime scene.

Meanwhile, the police launched a combing operation in the village and based on some preliminary clues, zeroed down on the man who lives around 300 metres away from the victim’s house. The police dog named Jack, who was given the smell of the metal pipe, tracked down the house of the same man, thus confirming the police’s preliminary suspicion.

The suspect identified as Anil Waghmare (53), a daily wage labourer, was subsequently placed under arrest.

Circumstantial evidence collected at the house and interrogation of the suspect has revealed that he had forcefully entered the house on Sunday night. He hit the woman on her head after she resisted his advances and then allegedly raped her after she became unresponsive due to the blow on the head, according to the police.