Pune:
A city jeweller's wife was found murdered in their rented flat at Shubham Apartments in Nana Peth on Wednesday. The culprits slit the throat of Jayanti Nagraj Chhajed (55) with a sharp-edged weapon and decamped with gold ornaments valued at Rs32 lakh.
Some cash and silver ornaments remained safe. The victim's husband, Nagraj Chhajed, has lodged a complaint with the Samarth police station.
Senior officers, including additional commissioner of police Prabhat Kumar, deputy commissioners of police Rajesh Kumar Mor, Anant Rokade (crime), assistant commissioners of police MM Makandar and Prabhakar Patil and police inspectors Suresh Kekane (crime), Sanjay Bhambure visited the scene.
The police pressed the dog squad and a forensic experts' team into service to trace the culprits.
Nagraj has his shop at Govind Halwai Chowk in Ganesh Peth. The couple's two married sons, Ankush and Santosh, stay in Bibvewadi and Sinhagad Road.
"On Wednesday morning, Nagraj went to his shop. Jayanti was alone at home when the suspects committed the crime," DCP Mor said. Nagraj came to know about the incident when he tried to call his wife up at noon but she did not take the call.
"He rushed to the flat around 1 pm. As he opened the door using the other key, he saw his wife lying in a pool of blood," police added.
Mor said initial investigation pointed to the involvement of three goldsmiths working at the shop. One of them, Bharat Gahlot, had left the shop at around 11 in the morning, saying he wanted to get his spectacles.
"When Nagraj found that his wife was murdered, he called up Gahlot, who told him that he was having food. When police reached the shop Gahlot was missing and his cellphone was switched off," said police officials.
The other two suspects, Mahendra Rajput and Mahendra, also came under the scanner.
Mahendra had worked with the jeweller seven years ago. He was shown the door because he had committed a theft. Both goldsmiths were dismissed by Nagraj for not working properly.
"We have formed separate teams to locate the three suspects," he said, appealing to people to have proper verification before engaging servants for work either at home or shop.
Photo Caption: The dog squad was pressed into service to track the trail of the suspects in the Jayanti Chhajed murder case at Shubham Apartments on Wednesday --Vilas Avachat DNA
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