Pune: 24 years after murder of four of Pune family, key accused gets death penalty

🔴 The key accused was arrested by the police nearly 12 years after he escaped and was awarded death penalty by the court on Tuesday.

On May 15, 1997, Ramesh Jaykumar Patil (55), Vijaya Kumari alias Vijaya Patil (47), Pooja Patil (13) and Manjunath Patil (10) were murdered at their residence.

Twenty four years after four persons from a family were murdered in Kalyani Nagar area of the city, a court in Pune on Tuesday granted death penalty to Bhagwat Bajirao Kale (47), the key accused in the case. Additional sessions judge B P Kshirsagar passed the order in this regard.

On May 15, 1997, Ramesh Jaykumar Patil (55), Vijaya Kumari alias Vijaya Patil (47), Pooja Patil (13) and Manjunath Patil (10) were murdered at their residence. Natives of Hubli in Karnataka, the Patils were residing in a rented apartment where Kale’s wife Geeta worked as a domestic help.

According to police, Kale, Geeta and their relative Sahebrao murdered the family and fled with a booty worth Rs 46.9 lakh. They were arrested after a few months but in September 1997, Bhagwat and Sahebrao managed to escape from police custody while they were being taken to the court.

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Four years later, Sahebrao was arrested by the police following which a court in Pune held the duo guilty in the case. While Geeta was sentenced to life imprisonment, the court awarded death penalty to Sahebrao. Both later moved Bombay High Court claiming they were juveniles while committing the crime. Considering evidence of them being minors at the time of the crime, the HC ordered their release in the case.

Meanwhile, Bhagwat was arrested by the police nearly 12 years after he escaped and was awarded death penalty by the court on Tuesday.

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