Man held for killing wife, attempting to pass it off as heart attack in Beed

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A farm worker allegedly murdered his wife by repeatedly striking her on the head with a wooden stick, and then attempted to pass off the killing as a death due to a heart attack, and transported the body to her native village in Nanded for the last rites. However, the police intercepted him and seized the body just before the funeral.The incident took place in Hatola Shivar, under the Bardapur police station limits, in Ambajogai taluka of Beed district. The deceased has been identified as Sheelabai Sherphule (45), a native of Alura village in Nanded. Her husband, Suresh Sherphule, lived with her at a farmer's field in Hatola.According to the police, the couple had frequent arguments over the past few days. Suresh reportedly insisted on returning to their native village, while Sheelabai was unwilling to leave. This disagreement allegedly escalated into a violent altercation on Friday, Jan 23. In a fit of rage, Suresh allegedly attacked Sheelabai with a thick wooden stick. She collapsed in a pool of blood and died on the spot.To conceal the crime, Suresh allegedly informed people in the vicinity and relatives in the village that Sheelabai died of a sudden heart attack. He also hired a cruiser vehicle and transported the body to Alura village to perform the last rites.However, the Bardapur police received confidential information regarding the suspicious nature of the death. Assistant inspector Kamble immediately alerted the Degloor police. Acting on the alert, sub-inspector Gopal Suryavanshi rushed to Alura village. The police intervened before the funeral could take place, took custody of the body, and detained Suresh Sherphule. The body was subsequently sent to Swarat Hospital for postmortem.Beed superintendent of police Navneet Nawant said, "The accused attempted to mislead relatives and villagers by claiming the woman died of a heart attack. Prompt coordination between Bardapur and Degloor police helped prevent the cremation and ensured that crucial evidence was preserved. A thorough investigation is underway, and strict action will be taken based on the findings."The accused is currently in the custody of the Bardapur police.