Raigad police solve murder case in 12 hours

Police in Raigad solved a murder case in just 12 hours, thanks to a mobile number found in a diary. The case involved a revenge killing. On March 17, villagers noticed a foul smell from a roadside ditch in Mhasla taluka. Upon investigation, they discovered a hand sticking out of a gunny sack and called the police. When officers arrived, they found the decomposed body of a man tied with wire and showing signs of a violent death. The victim was identified as Badshah, also known as Umesh Paswan. While searching the scene, police found a small diary containing a mobile number. This single clue led them to quickly trace the number to a contractor involved in local roadwork. Police suspected the contractor, Santosh Sawant, and soon spoke to two labourers, Vishal Devkatkar and Shyamsunder More, who confessed to the murder. They explained that Paswan had previously assaulted one of them over a personal issue. To take revenge, they beat him to death when he was drunk on the eve of Holi. After the murder, Sawant helped them conceal the crime. He loaded the body into a sack and drove nearly 25 kilometers to dump it in the jungle. Following their confessions, all three men were arrested and charged with murder and hiding evidence. They were presented in court and will remain in custody until March 24. Police emphasized how crucial the mobile number was in solving the case so quickly.