Wife planned Shiv Sainik's murder for property share

It turns out that the wife of the Shiv Sena worker, who was found dead on April 20, was the mastermind behind his murder. The fear of losing her share in her husband's property prompted Sakshi alias Vaishali to plan her his murder. She hired killers to do the deed however her instruction to them to partially burn her husband's body so that she could perform the last rites, is what did her in.

On April 20, the Shahpur police found the partially-burnt body of Shailesh, 43, Shiv Sena vice president of Shahpur Taluka in Devchole village. Nimse stayed with his 34-year-old wife and three children in Hagai village. Technical analysis and CCTV footage from cameras installed in the village helped the police arrest Pramod Vaman Lute, 32, of Asangaon, who confessed to the crime.

Shailesh was in a relationship with another woman which was affecting his marriage with Sakshi. The couple would often fight and he would often beat up Sakshi. However, Sakshi feared that if she divorced him, she wouldn't get a share of his property. Hence she planned his murder with Lute, who is a relative, and paid him Rs 3 lakh.

On the night of April 19, Sakshi helped Lute and two of his accomplices enter the house when Shailesh was asleep. "While one of the killers sat on his legs, another sat on his chest and Lute strangled Shailesh," said senior inspector Venkat Andhale, Thane Crime Branch - Rural.

Both Sakshi and Lute were arrested on April 24 and have been remanded to police custody till May 1. Lute's two accomplices are yet wanted in the case.