Journalism of Courage
The Pune police have arrested the accused in the sensational kidnap and murder of a pregnant woman,Rupali Chavan (24),an IT firm employee,residing in Phursungi area,in 2007. The police have identified the accused as Ganesh alias Hanumant Dhondiba Nanaware (37),a resident of Kavdewadi in Purandar taluka of Pune district.
Nanaware was arrested by the Pune crime branch a few days after he allegedly murdered Rupali,but he had escaped from the police custody while he was being brought to Sassoon hospital for treatment in 2010.
Rupali was a graphic designer in a software firm at Hinjewadi. Nanaware,as a cab driver for the firm, used to pick up and drop employees. Nanaware was married and father of two children. Rupali too was married and pregnant. However,Nanaware fell in love with Rupali. But she did not like him. So on April 2,2007,he allegedly kidnapped Rupali in a car. He then allegedly murdered her by strangulating her.
He then threw her body in the Warandha Ghat section of Bhor. Rupalis body was found on April 4. Her husband Santosh Chavan had lodged a complaint with the police as she did not return home on
April 2.
During investigation,a crime branch team led by inspector Rajendra Joshi arrested Nanaware. He was lodged in Yerwada jail. On June 6,2010,Nanaware was admitted to the Sassoon hospital for treatment,when he reportedly gave a slip to the policemen on duty and fled.
Now,acting on a tip-off to constables Baba Shaikh and Manik Pawar,a crime branch team led by inspector Arun Walture nabbed Nanaware again from Kondhwa area on Monday. Nanaware left Pune and joined a travel firm in Chennai. He had a driving licence. He worked as truck driver in Chennai and mainly travelled during the night, said DCP (crime) Rajesh Bansode.
The police said Nanaware used to travel from Chennai to Kerala and Chennai to Mumbai routes. He avoided coming to Pune. But this time,he decided to come to Pune to meet his family and was nabbed by the police.
We were after him for the last six months. We came to know that he was coming to Pune for meeting family members. A trap was laid and Nanaware was arrested. We are probing whether anybody from Sassoon hospital helped him in escape, said ACP (crime) Rajendra Bhamre. Pune Police Commissioner Gulabrao Pol has announced a reward of Rs 25,000 to the investigation team which nabbed him.
