Nagpur: A hit-and-run incident in Nagpur happened on May 22 turned out to be a contract killing linked to a property dispute worth over Rs 300 crore.
Police investigations into the hit-and-run case uncovered a sinister plot. A woman, aiming to acquire her in-laws’ property, allegedly offered Rs 1 crore to contract killers to murder her 82-year-old father-in-law, Purushottam Puttewar.
The incident took place on May 22 when Puttewar was hit by a speeding car at Balaji Nagari in Nagpur. Initially classified as a bailable accident case, both the driver and the vehicle were released. However, upon the insistence of a senior police officer, a deeper investigation ensued, leading to the arrests of the daughter-in-law, Archana, and her accomplices Sarthak Bagde and Dharmik.
Reports suggest that Archana’s police custody was not extended beyond the initial three days, thereby limiting the opportunity for police to interrogate her and cross-examine the statements that might be provided by her key accomplice, family driver Sarthak Bagde, who was apprehended by the crime branch.
Police allege that co-accused Dharmik spent Rs 40,000, while Bagde contributed Rs 1.20 lakh to purchase the secondhand car used in the hit-and-run that targeted Purushottam. During questioning, Dharmik admitted to receiving Rs 3 lakh from Archana, along with some gold, as payment for executing the murder.
The police discovered cash and valuables at Dharmik’s residence during their investigation. The crime branch took Archana into custody on June 6 and obtained a three-day remand from the court.
Archana, who serves as the assistant director of town planning in Gadchiroli and Chandrapur, is one of the key accused in this case.
