Pune murder- Accused had two more wives, both committed suicide; he used to harass my sister: Brother

READ | Techie shoots dead his doctor wife at her clinic in Wakad

“Though I have never spoken to her husband, I have been aware of him hitting her at her clinic. He used to harass her a lot. Some months back too, while she was attending a patient, Manoj had created a scene that made the patient call up the Wakad police station. It is very unfortunate she didn’t register a complaint then — she may have been alive today,” said the 70-plus Khole, whose relative informed police about the murder.

The adjacent shop’s employees informed the owner of the shop. The child was taken away by the brother of the deceased. Her brother Amar Santram Chandanao (32) said his sister’s only fault was, she was a working woman. “Eight months back, we had discussed divorce and suggested that we would set up a clinic for her at Lohegaon. However, for her son, she faced all the hurdles. We would check everyday with her about her well-being. My father would call her every hour to check on her,” said Amar.

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He said Manoj had married before, before Anjali married him. He had mentioned that his first wife had committed suicide. He said they got to know he had another wife too, who too had allegedly committed suicide after Manoj and Anjali got married. “This was my sister’s first marriage and it was an arranged marriage. We agreed only because he had good qualifications and he seemed decent. Post marriage, he changed completely and would harass her and even started doubting her character. He did not want her to work and my sister being qualified could not sit at home for long. It was her determination to manage both her child and the clinic that angered him,” said Amar, adding that had she left him eight months back this would not have been her fate.

Manoj Patidar and Anjali Chandanao

The attendant at another shop — a cake and pastry shop that opened in the afternoon on Thursday — who witnessed the incident is in a state of shock. Saying that the doctor faced a lot of harassment from her husband, he said, “She was a good doctor and on most evenings, her husband would come and create noise. On occasions, the shutter would be downed and we feared he would beat up the doctor,” he said.

He said she was soft-spoken and never talked about family matters. “We wondered why she never spoke up”. He added that on Wednesday, he had seen the two-year-old playing outside and suddenly there were sounds. “I thought it was some vehicle sound as the chowk is busy at that time. It was only later we came to know about the gunshots. He left the place immediately while the owner of the shop who stayed behind informed police,” he said. Both the owner and the shopkeepers nearby said they knew very less about the husband and that it was the wife who paid the rent. Khole said he had struck a three-year agreement for the shop and it was only one year now and though sometimes delayed, the doctor always paid the rent.

Opposite the road, Plus Medicals shopowner said the last call by the doctor could have been made to them requesting for medicine for a patient. “She was always accompanied by her child and would make calls for medicines for her patients. We hardly ever saw her husband,” said the chemists.

Occupants of the 11-storied building — Ozone Spring, comprising 50 flats which has more of rental occupants than owners staying — seem to be aware of the friction between the couple and their frequent fights. The building is just two years old and the couple were staying here on rent for about a year, say neighbours. While most of them have never interacted with Manoj, the doctor was cordial and would often be seen going to the clinic with her two-year-old.

A neighbour on condition of anonymity said there were huge fights almost everyday heard from the house but since it was a private matter, nobody interfered. The society members maintained that none of them had ever interacted with Manoj. “Most of the people staying in the building are on rent and are working professionals who would leave early in the morning, so we have never seen the husband,” one of them said.

The maid, who worked at the house and had come to work early on Thursday morning, was stopped by the watchman and told what happened. “I go to their house for about an hour and I have always interacted with the doctor. The husband would usually be sleeping. I have heard that they had their differences but they have never fought in front of me,” she said.

The brother of the owner of the house said they were shocked and were informed last night itself of the incident. The house is in my nephew’s name and manoj was on rent for the last one year, he said. “The man seems to have gone crazy completely and should face grave punishment,” he said.