An architect who allegedly murdered a woman with whom he reportedly had an extra-marital affair was remanded in police custody till September 1. The decomposed body of the victim,Vaishali Kadam,was handed over to her family members on Saturday. Her last rites were to be performed later in the night in Karad,hometown of the family,in Satara district. The Airport police had arrested Santosh Bhukan on Friday for murdering Kadam on August 10 by strangulating her at his farm house near Malshiras in Purandar taluka. He had then buried her body in a pit made for a bath tub,police said. Kadam and Bhukan,both married,had an affair when she was working as a receptionist three years ago at the latters office,Vatsal Arch,in Narayan Peth,police said. Off late Kadam was insisting that Bhukan divorce his wife and marry her by Diwali,police said. Kadams father Pandurang Shinde,who had filed the complaint against Bhukan,on Saturday demanded maximum possible punishment of death for Bhukan. The cruel man must be hanged to death for murdering my daughter. The man must suffer all the pains that he had given to my daughter by duping her. A V Ajegaonkar,a neighbour of Bhukans architecture firm,said,Bhukan rarely interacted with people in the building. But I remember the face of the woman after I saw it in the newspapers. The office of Vatsal Arch was closed. Two of the architects who knew Bhukan professionally refused to comment. Senior police inspector Prakash Gharge of Airport police station said,After the accused confessed to his crime,we are building up a case against him. Garge had submitted before the court that police wanted time to look for Bhukans accomplice,to seize Vaishalis cellphone and other belongings and the nylon rope used to strangulate her. Police have seized his car. Manish Thorat,Vaishalis elder sister,said,No one can imagine the mental state of Vashalis seven-year-old daughter. Vaishali was staying with her daughter after her husband left her seven months ago when he came to know about Vaishalis affair. Bhukan had allegedly taken help from a man for sending SMSes to Vaishalis family members. Bhukan had asked him to send SMSes from Mahabaleshwar. Airport police are searching for the man.
