Satara: Police excavates body of another person killed by 'Dr Death' Santosh Pol

The Maharashtra police excavated the body of another person killed by 'Dr Death' Santosh Pol on Friday, in Dhom village, Wai, Satara district.

The body, the sixth one to be found so far, is said to be of Vanita Gaikwad who had disappeared in August 2006 on Raksha Bandhan day. Wai police brought Pol at the crime site at around 12.20 pm and started the digging work after he confessed to the crime and showed them the spot.

The body was found beneath an anjeer tree which Pol had planted. The tree was cut, with work beginning at 12:30 pm, and the bones were found beneath it. The body of another victim of Pol's had been found close to this spot a few days ago. Gaikwad's relatives will identify her saree apart from forensic department carrying out the DNA investigation.

40-year-old Vanita's house was just 500 metres away from Pol's. She had stepped out of the house to tie her brother a rakhi but disappeared that day. Vanita is survived by two daughters who now live in Pune.

A forensic team  from KEM hospital, Mumbai, is at the site and is helping the police with the investigation.

Santosh Pol was arrested for murdering at least six persons between 2003 and 2016. As per the police, Pol killed Surekha Chikane on May 20, 2003. On August 12, 2006, he killed Vanita Gaikwad; on August 13, 2010, he killed Jagabai Pol. Nathamal Bhandari, a jeweller, was killed on December 7, 2015. On January 17, 2016, he murdered Salma Shaikh, and on June 16 he killed Mangala Jedhe. It was Jedhe's disappearance which led the police to him.

The murders were committed for looting the victims, or to eliminate those who could spill the beans on previous murders, police added.