ACP's driver, wife held for killing latter's 'lover'

The deceased person’s body was mutilated and cops are yet to find his head

Ten days after a headless body was recovered from secter 7 in Antop Hill area, the Mumbai crime branch on Saturday arrested a police constable Shivshankar Gaikwad, 45, and his wife Monali, 35, on the charges of murder. A metal plate inserted in the ankle during a foot surgery and a tattoo on the deceased person’s body helped the police to identify the deceased Dada Jagdale, 38, a resident Solapur.

Gaikwad, a driver of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Dr Ashwini Patil of Sion division allegedly killed Jagdale on the suspicion of having an extra marital affair with his wife, said police. After learning about the alleged relationship, Gaikwad called him to Mumbai and killed him before dumping his headless body near the ACP office, said police. The police are yet to find the head, while the accused have claimed to have thrown it in garbage.

A headless body of an unidentified man was recovered from sector 7 in Antop Hill on September 30. Its hands and legs were severed and attempts were made to burn the body, said the police. The Antop Hill police lodged an offence of murder and destruction of evidence and began investigation while the crime branch started a parallel probe.

During its probe the crime branch unit 4 officials found a metal plate inserted in the ankle of the deceased person during a surgery. The police contacted the company which manufactured the plate and based on the plate's number the company gave the address of the Solapur hospital to which the plate was supplied.

A metal plate inserted in the ankle and a tattoo on the deceased person’s body helped the police to identify the deceased person

The hospital checked its records and found that it was inserted in Jagdale's ankle during a surgery. The police rushed to his home where his family identified him based on the plate and the tattoo that read Dada. His family informed that Jagdale had been to Mumbai but since then he was not in contact.

The investigation revealed that before his death, Jagdale was in constant touch with Gaikwad. According to the police officials, Monali went to her maiden home after running into marital problems at her village in Solapur. In her hometown, she met Jagdale, who was her school friend and allegedly established a romantic relationship with him, said police.

Recently when Monali return to Mumbai to stay with Gaikwad, he reportedly learnt about her alleged relationship with Jagdale which enraged him, said an official. Gaikwad then called Jagdale to Mumbai and subsequently killed him, while Monali allegedly helped him, said police.