Blood and Bones: Unraveling the Grisly Murder at Tawashi Crematorium

In a chilling turn of events, the rural police in Pune have unveiled the shocking details behind a gruesome discovery made on November 16th in Tawashi village, located in Indapur tehsil, about 120 kilometers from the city. What initially appeared to be the remains of a lifeless animal found burning in a crematorium pyre soon turned out to be the tragic remains of a human being—a discovery that would soon lead investigators into a disturbing tale of betrayal and premeditated murder.

The victim, identified as 74-year-old Haribhau Dhuraji Jagtap, a retired Army veteran and well-known matchmaker from Gangakhed in Parbhani district, met a brutal end at the hands of a relative and his accomplice. According to Pune Rural Police Superintendent Pankaj Deshmukh, the two suspects, Dadasheb Maruti Harihar (30) and Vishal Sadashiv Khilare (23), both farm workers from Gokhali village in Satara district, killed Jagtap due to a bitter grudge involving his inappropriate advances towards Harihar’s wife.

The sequence of events began on the morning of November 16th when Tawashi village's police patil reported a strange and alarming discovery at the local crematorium. Upon arrival, police found human flesh and bones smoldering in the pyre, with a disturbing pool of blood found about 40 meters from the site. The body was so severely burned that authorities struggled to determine if it was human or animal remains. However, the discovery of a gold pendant and a denture plate among the ashes quickly led investigators to suspect foul play and the possibility that the remains were those of a human.

After further investigation, police turned to CCTV footage from nearby areas and learned that two men had been spotted purchasing wood from a coal depot in Phaltan taluka two days prior to the discovery. The depot owner confirmed that Harihar and Khilare were the buyers, and the two were soon arrested. During questioning, they admitted to having committed the murder.

Assistant Inspector Rajkumar Dunage, who was part of the investigation, revealed that the two suspects had known Jagtap for some time, as he frequently visited Phaltan for his matchmaking business. On November 12th, Jagtap had attended a function in Ambajogai, where he reportedly teased Harihar’s wife, igniting a deep resentment in the suspects. This led them to devise a plan to eliminate Jagtap.

On the night of November 15th, Harihar and Khilare lured Jagtap into their car under the pretense of taking him on a pilgrimage to Takewadi. Once near the crematorium at Tawashi, they stopped the car and asked Jagtap to accompany them to relieve themselves. It was here, under the cover of darkness, that they struck him on the head with a wooden plank, causing his death. The perpetrators then dragged his lifeless body to the crematorium and set it on fire.

The investigation team quickly arrived at the scene after receiving a tip-off and collected vital evidence, including blood samples, the gold pendant, and the tooth caps. These items were shown to Jagtap's son in Kolhapur, who identified them as belonging to his father. To confirm the identity of the deceased, the police sent the blood samples and tooth caps to a forensic lab for further analysis, awaiting the final confirmation.

This tragic crime has sent shockwaves through the local community, highlighting the deadly consequences of unresolved grudges and the devastating impact of betrayal. The quick and diligent work of the police in uncovering the details of this gruesome act has brought some measure of justice to the victim’s family. As the investigation continues, authorities remain committed to ensuring that those responsible for such a heinous act face the full weight of the law.