Pune Crime Files: why 3 convicted for brutally murdering a family of 4 in 1997 walked free
The Patils had just moved to Pune’s Kalyani Nagar in 1997 when they were brutally murdered by a watchman and two others during a robbery at their apartment.
In 1997, a family of four, comprising husband, wife, and two children, was brutally murdered at their residence in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar, within a week of moving to the place from Karnataka’s Hubballi. The incident had left the city shaken back then.
Court records identified the victims as Ramesh Jaykumar Patil, 50, his wife Vijayakumari, also known as Vijaya, 40, their daughter Pooja, 12, and son Manjunath, 7. Following an investigation, the police arrested three suspects, who were initially convicted by the trial court, but were later set free by the Bombay High Court for different reasons.
A fresh start turns tragic
Following a transfer, Ramesh Patil, a bank officer, had arrived in Pune on May 9, 1997, accompanied by his wife Vijaya, a postal department employee, and their two children, investigators said. They stayed at a hotel near the Pune railway station from May 10 and found an apartment on rent at Princeton Town Society in Kalyani Nagar through a real estate broker. At the time, some portions of the residential project were still under construction, the police said.
On May 11, the Patil family performed a puja at the apartment and the family began residing there from May 12. He soon hired an autorickshaw to move around the city and visited markets with his wife from May 12 to May 15, purchasing items including furniture, a refrigerator and a television.
On the morning of May 16, the autorickshaw driver returned to the flat to pick them up again, but the family did not open the door of the apartment. After some time, an electrical and hardware shop owner, whom they had called for fitting a geyser, reached the spot. But once again, they did not open the door, prompting the man to inform the site office.
Soon, a labourer at the site went to the terrace of the apartment using a ladder. He found blood on the floor and informed the site authorities. The police were alerted and reached the spot. The apartment’s door to the terrace was found open, officers said.
Inside the apartment, investigators found the bodies of Vijaya and Manjunath. Ramesh and Pooja were found dead in the septic tank, the cover of which was found to have been removed.
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The post-mortem revealed multiple injuries on the bodies. Pooja had 25 external and 13 internal injuries, including eight stab wounds, while her brother Manjunath had 10 external and 11 internal injuries, including four stab injuries, besides fractures. There were 56 injuries on Patil’s body, and his wife too had sustained several wounds, the police said.
Investigators also seized knives, screw drivers, and iron rods from the crime scene. The police found that a watchman at the site, his wife, and cousin were missing since the murders took place. A search was launched for them, and a First Information Report (FIR) pertaining to murder was lodged at Yerwada police station.
The investigation and arrests
Within four days, the police arrested the watchman and recovered from him cash of around Rs 39.4 lakh, along with gold ornaments worth Rs 2.8 lakh. His clothes and shoes with blood stains were also seized, officers said. The other two accused were arrested by May 27. The police booked all three of them under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 449 (house trespass to commit offence punishable with death), 302 (murder), 392 (robbery), 407 (criminal breach of trust), 201 (hiding or destroying evidence), and 34 (common intention). The wife and cousin later argued before the court that they were minors at the time of the crime.
The police alleged that the accused killed the Patils to rob their cash of over Rs 45.7 lakh and gold jewellery. They believed that Patil came to Pune from Hubballi with a huge amount of cash. The accused were thought to have committed the crime after observing their luxurious lifestyle and purchases. Officers said the assailants entered the apartment through the terrace door and committed the crime.
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Escape, conviction and release
On September 10, 1998, while being taken to court, the accused watchman and his cousin escaped from police custody. The cousin was arrested on January 1, 2001. The trial court in Pune held the watchman’s wife and cousin guilty in the murder case. While his wife was sentenced to life imprisonment, the court awarded the death penalty to his cousin.
Then, in November 2004, the Bombay High Court commuted the cousin’s death sentence to life imprisonment, while upholding the wife’s conviction. Both of them later moved the high court again, claiming that they were minors while committing the crime. Considering the evidence presented in this regard, the high court ordered their release in the case.
In 2011, the key accused watchman, was arrested after being on the run for around 12 years. On December 14, 2021, the trial court in Pune held him guilty and awarded him the death penalty. He was 47 years old at the time. The court pointed out that dragging Ramesh and his daughter into a septic tank after their murder was a “disrespect” and a “gruesome act” to the bodies. Calling the offence “brutal and barbaric”, the court observed that the watchman forced his minor wife and cousin to commit the crime.
However, on December 9, 2024, the high court set aside his death penalty. The order stated that “no case was made out for confirming the death penalty” of the accused. It also set aside his conviction and subsequently, he was released from jail.
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.
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