MPSC aspirant and food delivery executive: Who is Rahul Handore, the alleged murderer of Darshana Pawar?

“Preliminary information suggests that he comes from a weak financial background with his father selling newspapers for a living. He has completed his BSc in botany and made four attempts to clear the MPSC (Maharashtra Public Services Commission) exam. On two of those attempts, he cleared the preliminary exams but failed in the mains. In the two other attempts, he failed the prelims,” said an officer who is part of the investigation.

Handore was staying at the Hingane Home Colony near Datta Mandir in Pune’s Karvenagar suburb. “The accused had been preparing for the MPSC examination. He was staying in Pune for the past few years and was doing some part-time jobs. He had recently been working for a cellphone-based food delivery service and was living in a rented room. He and Darshana had known each other since childhood. His home in his native village and the house of Darshana’s maternal uncle are located opposite to each other,” said Pune Rural SP Ankit Goyal.

Asked if the two had been in a relationship, Goyal said, “I can only say at this point that the two knew each other but whether they were in a relationship or not is something that will be clear only after detailed interrogation.”

In reply to another query, Goyal said it was Pawar, and not her family, who had rejected Handore’s marriage proposal.

Another officer associated with the investigation said, “We now know that Darshana and Rahul studied together for the exams and were part of a close group of friends who would study together.”

On the day of the murder, according to police, Pawar and Handore left for Rajgad early in the morning and reached the foothills of the fort around 8.30 am. They went up to an area identified as Saticha Maal, where Handore allegedly assaulted Darshana with stones and sharp weapons. He then came down alone at 10.45 am and left the spot, police said.