Pune: Husband Who Reported Wife’s Murder Turns Out To Be Killer, Arrested

Reported By Tikam Shekhawat and Varad Bhatkhande

Shirur/Pune, 8th July 2024: Near Ranjangaon in Pune District, a man who initially reported his wife’s murder by an unknown assailant was later revealed to be the murderer himself. The murder was driven by suspicions about his wife’s character. She was strangled with a rope and subjected to electric shocks on her thumbs. This incident occurred on 3rd July in Ranjangaon Sandas near Shirur.

The deceased has been identified as Sheetal Swapnil Ranpise (age 23, resident of Ranjangaon). Her husband, Swapnil Shamrao Ranpise, initially complained to Shirur Police Station under Pune rural police. Following an investigation, Shirur Police determined Swapnil himself to be the murderer. He has been arrested, and a case has been registered against him under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 103(1) (punishment for murder).

According to police, Sheetal was alone at home on the afternoon of the 3rd of July. Her father-in-law and mother-in-law were out. Swapnil called them and his brother Ranjeet, saying that his wife was not answering the phone and not opening the door. When they broke down the door, they found Sheetal dead, with a blue rope around her neck and an electric wire wrapped around her thumb. She was taken to a hospital in Kedgaon, where she was declared dead on arrival.

Due to the seriousness of the incident, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) and Shirur Police Station team launched a thorough investigation. It was revealed that Sheetal and Swapnil had only been married for a few months, leading investigators to explore the angle of marital disputes. Given the state in which she was found, a parallel investigation into a possible robbery was also conducted. However, when investigating the robbery angle, it was revealed that the murder scene had been staged. This prompted the police to examine all angles including nearby CCTV footage, informed Pune rural SP Pankaj Deshmukh.

The police began interrogating Swapnil, who was a highly educated man. During the interrogation, he provided inconsistent accounts of events. Under intense scrutiny, Swapnil eventually confessed that due to suspicions about his wife’s character, there were constant fights between them. One of these fights escalated, leading him to murder his wife and stage the crime scene to evade suspicion. Further interrogation revealed Swapnil’s past, filled with rejections from many women due to his family’s conditions at that time. This history made him insecure and overly suspicious, leading him to distrust his wife.

Swapnil was presented to the court, which granted police custody until 10th July. Shirur Police are continuing their investigation into the matter.

This operation was carried out under the guidance of Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh, Additional Superintendent of Police Ramesh Chopade, and SDPO (Shirur Division) Prashant Dhole. The team included LCB Police Inspector Avinash Shilimkar, Shirur Police Inspector Jyotiram Gunjawate, LCB Assistant Police Inspector Rahul Gawade, Shirur Assistant Police Inspector Amol Panhalkar, Police Sub Inspector Eknath Patil, and LCB Police Constables Sachin Ghadge, Ajit Bhujbal, Tushar Pandare, Yogesh Nagargoje, Raju Momin, Atul Dere, Janardan Shelke, Mangesh Thigale, Sanju Jadhav, Sagar Dhumal, Kashinath Rajapure, and Akshay Supe. Police Constables from Shirur Police Station included Gopinath Chavan, Nitin Sudrik, Parshuram Sangale, Prafulla Bhagat, Rahul Bhavar, Natha Jagtap, Nitesh Thorat, Sachin Bhoi, Vinod Kale, and Shivaji Bhote.