In a shocking revelation, Yavatmal police have solved the mysterious murder of a local schoolteacher whose charred body was found in Chausala forest on May 15. The deceased has been identified as 32-year-old Shantanu Arvind Deshmukh, a resident of Suyognagar and a teacher by profession.
According to investigators, the crime was orchestrated by Shantanu’s 23-year-old wife, Nidhi Shantanu Deshmukh, who also serves as the principal of Sunrise English Medium School. Police said Nidhi, along with three of her tuition students, was involved in the killing and subsequent attempt to destroy evidence by burning the body.
Shantanu was reported missing on the evening of May 13. Initially, the police questioned his friends after Nidhi filed a missing person’s complaint. A breakthrough came when officers discovered a photograph on a friend’s phone showing Shantanu wearing the same clothes found on the burnt body. Forensic analysis of clothing fragments and personal items, including branded underwear, further confirmed the victim’s identity.
Under interrogation, Nidhi admitted to poisoning her husband due to mounting frustration over his alleged alcohol abuse. In the early hours of May 14, she, along with the three students, transported the body to Chausala forest and set it on fire. The remains were discovered two days later.
Police have arrested Nidhi Deshmukh, while the three minors are being processed under the Juvenile Justice Act. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities continuing to gather evidence and build the case.
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