Pune: Labourer arrested for 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 of the incident coming to light on Monday morning, police arrested a 53-year-old labourer living near the victim’s house who allegedly killed her after she resisted his advances, and then raped her, police probe has revealed.

The village is located in Khed taluka, around 50 km from Pune city. The incident was reported to police officials on Monday morning when the woman, who lived alone in her house, was found lying dead in a pool of blood.

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

Police said the probe also suggested that the attack had taken place on Sunday night. A forensics team and a police search dog were called to the crime scene. Meanwhile, police launched a combing operation in the village and based on some preliminary clues, zeroed on on the man, who lives a few 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 police’s preliminary suspicion. The suspect, who works as a daily wage labourer, was subsequently placed under arrest.

The circumstantial evidence collected at the house and interrogation of the suspect has revealed that he had forcibly entered the house on Sunday night.

He allegedly hit the woman on her head after she resisted his advances. He allegedly raped the woman after she became unresponsive due to the blow on her head, police probe has revealed.