Woman Confesses to Murdering Nephew in Elaborate Frame-Up Plot
In a shocking case from Latur district, a 34-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly strangling her seven-year-old nephew to death and orchestrating a fake kidnapping to falsely implicate her husband's alleged lover. The incident, which unfolded in Chakur town, has sent ripples through the community, highlighting a tragic family dispute turned deadly.
Details of the Crime and Initial Disappearance
The police reported that the accused, Anita Swami, confessed during questioning that she was deeply disturbed by her husband's extramarital relationship. This emotional turmoil led her to plot the murder and create a false abduction narrative, aiming to frame the other woman. The case came to light on Sunday when two cousins, Saicharan Swami (10) and Devansh Swami (7), went missing from the Juna Mahadev Mandir Galli area around 7 am. The boys are grandsons of Chandrakant Swami, the priest of the Mahadev temple.
After an extensive search by the family, the police were alerted around 1 pm. Inspector Balaji Bhande led an immediate investigation team. Around 2:10 pm, Devansh's body was discovered in an open plot near an old house along the Chakur-Ujalamb road, close to the family's residence. A panchnama was conducted, and the body was sent for postmortem to the rural hospital in Chakur, marking the grim beginning of a complex probe.
Investigation Unravels the Fabricated Story
The investigation took a significant turn late on Sunday night when Saicharan was traced in Latur, approximately 40 kilometers from Chakur. He had used a mechanic's cellphone to call his father. Initially, the child claimed that a woman had kidnapped both cousins and that he managed to escape. However, under sustained questioning, he revealed that his mother, Anita, had tutored him to fabricate the kidnap story. This revelation prompted the police to take Anita in for questioning, where she eventually confessed to the murder.
Latur Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe provided insights into the breakthrough. "After tracking down Saicharan, our teams interacted with him to find out how he had reached Latur. Initially, he said that he and his cousin were taken by a woman, and he somehow managed to escape and reach Latur. However, during the course of the investigation, we found contradictions in the boy's version. On sustained questioning, Saicharan revealed that his mother had sent him by bus to her brother's house in Latur."
Police Efforts and Arrest
The police also identified another minor from the neighborhood who was allegedly used to lure Devansh to Anita's house. Anita later confessed to strangling Devansh to death and deliberately creating the false kidnapping narrative to mislead investigators and implicate her husband's alleged lover. The initial search was spearheaded by Inspector Bhande's team, but as the case developed, four additional teams from the Chakur police station and the local crime branch were deployed. Forensic experts and dog squads were also involved, with senior officers including SP Amol Tambe, Additional SP Mangesh Chavan, and SDPO Ravindra Chaudhari supervising the investigation closely.
Based on a complaint filed by Mangesh Swami, the police registered a murder case early on Monday and arrested Anita. Further investigation is currently underway to uncover all aspects of this tragic event, which has left the community in shock and mourning.
