Ragpicker arrested for rape, murder of 46-year-old woman

Senior Inspector Balkrushna Kadam said a cap and black footwear were found lying next to the body.

A Hyderabad court Monday pronounced a 55-year-old doctor guilty of sexually assaulting a patient who sought treatment for Asthma at his clinic. (File Representational Photo)

Pune Police arrested a homeless ragpicker Monday for the rape and murder of a woman whose body was found in a bush in Yerawada on August 1.

Senior Inspector Balkrushna Kadam said a cap and black footwear were found lying next to the body. Police zeroed in on the suspect, Satish Harwade, 45, after CCTV footage from the area showed a ragpicker wearing the same cap and footwear, who was frequently seen in Cheemaghat.

The victim has been identified as a 46-year-old woman who is survived by her husband and four children. The family members of the deceased told police that she suffered from a condition and often left the house in the middle of the night. The family members suspect that the woman could have similarly left the house around 1 am on July 31.

Officials said Harwade attacked the woman after he found her alone late in the night on the day of the crime. He allegedly hit her on the head with a stone when she tried to resist the rape. Her body was found in a secluded open space in Parnakuti.

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