Darshana Pawar death: Pune police search for missing friend, probe murder angle

The body of the 26-year-old woman was found at Rajgad Fort on Sunday, days after she and her friend Rahul Handore were reported missing.

Written by: Atikh Rashid, Chandan Haygunde

4 min readPuneUpdated: Jun 20, 2023 10:10 AM IST

Darshana Pawar. (Express Photo)

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Darshana Pawar death: Pune police search for missing friend, probe murder angle

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Police in Pune have stepped up the search for a 25-year-old man who they believe is the missing link in the mysterious death of Darshana Pawar (26), who recently qualified for the state forest services and whose body was found at the Rajgad Fort, a popular tourist and trekking spot, on Sunday.

Darshana’s body was found in a partially decomposed state at the foothills of the fort in Pune district’s Velhe taluka, police said. The recovery came days after she and a male friend identified as Rahul Handore were reported missing in separate police complaints lodged by their families last week. Police are currently searching for Handore.

“The postmortem report is awaited,” Pune Rural SP Ankit Goyal said, adding that different angles, including that of murder, were being investigated.

Darshana, daughter of a driver at a sugar mill in Ahmednagar, recently cleared the Maharashtra Public Service Commission exam for the post of range forest officer. Her friends and teachers described her as a “studious student” who had been preparing for various competitive exams till finding success in the state forest services exam.

A teacher from Shri Sharada English Medium School at Kopargaon in Ahmednagar, where Darshana studied till Class 10, described her as a “very bright student who scored over 90 per cent”. “Her father is a driver with Shankarrao Kolhe Cooperative Sugar Mill. She has a younger brother. Darshana did consistently well in her studies here and later,” said the teacher, who did not wish to be identified.

According to sources close to her family, Darshana completed her B Sc in mathematics from Rayat Shikshan Sanstha’s SSGM College in Kopargaon and shifted to Pune to complete her M Sc from Savitribai Phule Pune University.

“She prepared for the civil services while doing her M Sc from Pune university. Later she returned to her hometown and studied at home, while making brief visits to Pune for preparations. In March, she cleared the forest services examination,” a person close to the family said.

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Hrishikesh Golave, co-founder of the Pune-based Spotlight Academy, said Darshana had signed up for a “mock interview” programme with the institute. “She had come to us for interview training a few months ago. In her forest services interview, she secured 30 out of 50 marks and succeeded in securing a rank in the exams. On June 10, she was felicitated by us and she thanked the academy. We weren’t aware about her disappearance until June 14, when her father visited us enquiring about her whereabouts,” Golave said.

According to police, Darshana reached Pune on June 9, stayed with a woman friend in Pune’s Narhe area and attended the academy’s felicitation. Darshana later informed her parents that she was visiting the Sinhagad Fort on June 12, police said. She told the female friend that she was going trekking at the Rajgad and Sinhagad forts.

But after that, police said, the families of both could not reach them over the phone. With police tracing their last call location to Velhe, Darshana’s cell phone was found at the foothills of the Rajgad Fort, about 35 km from the Sinhagad Fort, after which her body was recovered.

Officers said the postmortem was conducted at the Sassoon General Hospital on Monday morning and the body handed over to Darshana’s family, which left for Kopargaon. “I am not in a mental state to say anything,” Darshana’s father Dattatraya Pawar said, before breaking down.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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