 "Police outside AAP MP Swati Maliwal's house, in New Delhi, Thursday, May 16, 2024")
A woman in Nagpur and five other people have been arrested in connection with the murder of an 82-year-old man, identified as Puroshattam Puttewar, who was the father-in-law of the woman.
The accused, identified as Archana Puttewar, allegedly hired men to stage a ‘hit and run’ to kill her father-in-law and pass it off as an accident. She paid Rs 1 crore to the killers for the murder. The police said that the initial probe suggests that the deceased person’s property worth Rs 300 crore appears to be the motive of killing.
The woman, 53, plotted the conspiracy along with her brother and four others, who have been arrested by the crime branch of the Nagpur police. The police also said that the accused arranged a used car to execute the killing on May 22.
Victim had been attacked twice before
The deceased was killed when he had gone to meet his wife Shakuntala in hospital. He was targeted by the accused around 10.30 am when he was on his way back to his daughter’s house in Balaji Nagar.
They also noted that this incident was the third attempt to kill the deceased. Two more attempts had been made on May 8 and 16.
The police have seized gold jewellery, two cars and mobile phones during the investigation.
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Who is Archana Puttewar?
Both siblings worked as senior bureaucrats in Nagpur. Puttewar herself is a high-ranking official in Nagpur’s town planning department. Her brother, Prashant, served as the director of MSME Nagpur.
Niraj Nimje, who allegedly ran over the victim with the car and his accomplice, Sachin Dharmik as well Archana’s secretary Payal Nageshwar and driver Sarthak Bagde are the other four others accused to have been arrested.
Besides the murder investigation, the police have also found suspected corruption practices by Archana, including irregularities in project approvals during her tenure as the bureaucrat.
