Nagpur: Mankapur Police have arrested 57-year-old Mahesh Keshavrao Wadaskar, a resident of Sakkardara and owner of the Turning Point Hotel and Lodge in Ramtek, for the murder of a 25- year-old woman, Priya Bagde, and burying her body to destroy evidence. The murder was the fallout of persistent blackmailing by Priya demanding money.
The investigation began with a missing persons report filed by Priya Bagde’s sister on August 16 at Mankapur Police Station, after Priya, a resident of Godhani, failed to return from a visit to Ramtek. According to police, Priya had gone to Ramtek to meet Wadaskar at his hotel on August 15 and did not return home. Upon receiving the missing persons report, the Mankapur Police launched a search for Priya.
During the investigation, the police uncovered details that pointed to a connection between Priya’s disappearance and the accused Wadaskar. It was revealed that Wadaskar and Priya had a prior history. Several years ago, they worked together at Sagar Dairy, where Wadaskar was a manager and Priya was an employee. They reconnected through Facebook about three years ago and developed a friendship that turned problematic.
The police said, a year ago, Wadaskar coerced Priya into having an abortion, which led to a strained relationship between them. Priya later began blackmailing Wadaskar, allegedly using the threat of exposing their past to force him into arranging a marriage for her. The blackmailing caused distress for Wadaskar and he hatched a conspiracy to kill her. On August 15, Priya visited Wadaskar at his hotel in Ramtek on a two-wheeler. After their meeting, she returned home, only to make another trip to Ramtek on August 16. It was during this visit that Wadaskar allegedly killed Priya.
Following her murder, Wadaskar reportedly buried her body in a secluded area in Ramtek. Wadaskar has been arrested and charged with murder. The police investigation revealed the grim details of how Priya’s body was disposed of. After arresting Wadaskar, the police took him to the hotel to get a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) of CCTV.
However, after reaching the hotel, Wadaskar entered a room to get the DVR and consumed poison from a bottle kept in a cupboard. The cops were shocked and rushed him to hospital. Now, he was discharged from the hospital after treatment.
Body buried 4 km away from Ramtek
Following a missing persons report, a team led by Senior Police Inspector Swati Jadhav of the Mankapur Police Station, under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Rahul Madane, initiated a search operation. The investigation revealed Priya’s last known location through her mobile phone, which was traced to a hotel in Ramtek. Upon arriving at the hotel, the police encountered Mahesh Wadaskar, who initially provided misleading information.
A detailed analysis of Priya’s call records revealed frequent communication with Wadaskar. As a result, the police detained him for questioning. During interrogation, Wadaskar confessed to poisoning Priya and later burying her body approximately four kilometres from Ramtek. The police have now registered a murder case against him. Wadaskar will be taken to the burial site in Ramtek on Wednesday where the police plan to exhume Priya’s body for an autopsy.
