Woman murdered by neighbour for jewellery, police arrest youth

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Tuljapur police solved the disappearance of 58-year-old Chitra Patil after her body was found near the Naldurg Road bridge on the Solapur-Latur bypass in Dharashiv district.Investigations revealed that Chitra Patil was strangled to death by a 21-year-old from her neighbourhood. The accused has been identified as Om Nikam. The accused was arrested on Monday and presented before the court, which remanded him in police custody until July 25. Police said the accused was financially well-off and operated a shop selling articles for pooja near the Tuljapur temple.Police, citing the statements of the victim's family, said Chitra Patil used to treat the accused as a son. Following a complaint filed by her actual son, Sangram Patil, the Tuljapur police registered an offence under section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Nikam was arrested, and he confessed to the crime, said Tuljapur inspector Anil Manjare.Police said Chitra and Sangram had been living in Tuljapur. She was known to regularly wear gold jewellery, including a chain weighing approximately 1.5 tolas, bangles, and other items totalling 15 to 16 tolas. Om Nikam, who frequently visited their home and was regarded as part of the family, reportedly developed an interest in her jewellery. On Sunday, the woman's body was discovered near Naldurg, but her gold ornaments were missing, prompting investigators to suspect foul play. The autopsy revealed that she had been strangled. During interrogation, Om Nikam allegedly confessed to strangling her and stealing her jewellery.