Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders
Encyclopedia
Rajendra Jakkal, Dilip Dhyanoba Sutar, Shantaram Kanhoji Jagtap and Munawar Harun Shah were commercial art
students of the Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya http://www.google.co.in/search?q=abhinav+kala+mahavidyalaya&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en-GB___IN344, Tilak Road, Pune
, India who committed 10 murders between January 1976 and March 1977, and were hanged to death on 27 November 1983. The quartet had acquired a reputation for bad conduct on their college campus. They frequently robbed and indulged in drinking.
. On 15 January 1976, the foursome along with classmate Suhas Chandak picked up Prakash on a false pretence and took him to Jakkal's tin shed on Karve Road. They forced him to write a runaway note to his father stating that he was leaving home. On the night of 16 January 1976, they gagged him and took him to Peshwe Park http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en-GB___IN344&hs=8Y2&q=peshwe+park+pune&btnG=Search&meta=&aq=0&oq=peshwe+pa. They strangled Prakash with a nylon rope, placed his body in an iron barrel, inserted some stones and dumped the barrel into the lake. The following day, they sent a ransom note to Sundar Hegde.
from Vijaynagar was attacked on the night of 31 October. The group forced themselves into his house brandishing their knives. Achyut Joshi and his wife Usha were the only ones at home. After tying their hands and legs, the duo killed the married couple by strangulating Achyut Joshi with a nylon rope and suffocating his wife. When the Joshi's teenaged son Anand walked in, he was stripped naked and strangulated with the same identical nylon rope. After the murders they decamped with the booty – a mangalsutra
, a watch and few thousand rupees.
's bungalow
on Shankarseth road was attacked on the evening of 22 November. They, however, faced resistance from Bafna and her two servants and escaped by climbing the barbed wire fence of the bungalow.
scholar Kashinath Shastri Abhyankar (88), his wife Indirabai (76), their maid Sakubai Wagh (60), granddaughter Jai (21) and grandson Dhananjay (19). The four gained entry by ringing the doorbell. When Dhananjay opened the door, they stuffed his mouth with a ball of cloth, tied his hands and asked him to direct them inside the house. The men eliminated each of the members by stuffing their mouths with a ball of cloth, tying both their hands and legs and then strangulating with the nylon
rope. Their granddaughter Jai, was stripped naked and forced to direct them to the valuables in the house before she was killed.
was the younger brother of their college friend, Jayant Gokhale. On the evening of 23 March 1977, Anil was supposed to meet his brother at Alka Talkies. Anil was offered a lift home by Jakkal on his motorcycle
. He was taken to Jakkal's shed and strangulated with the nylon rope. His body was tied to an unused iron ladder, weighed down with big boulders and dumped into the Mula-Mutha river near Bund Garden http://www.mustseeindia.com/Pune-Bund-Garden/attraction/11203.
surfaced near Yerawada. The police team, led by Police Inspector Manikrao Damame, realized the nylon
ropes used to tie the body to the ladder had been fastened in a manner identical to the prior murders. When investigated, the four boys contradicted each other about their joint movements in the city over the past week.
Satish Gore, a colleague, broke down in the course of police interrogation and confessed. Further confessions made by another classmate, Suhas Chandak, who was witness to the Hegde killing. The killers were apprehended on 30 March 1977
. Their sentences were confirmed by the Bombay High Court on 6 April 1979 and their special leave petition against their convictions and sentences were dismissed by the Supreme Court on 17 November 1980.
and Supreme Court
s turned down their appeals, the accused approached the President of India
for a pardon
. The president did not concede, and the four were hanged at the Yerawada central jail on 27 November 1983.
Commercial art
Commercial art is historically a subsector of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. The term has become increasingly anachronistic in favor of more contemporary terms such as graphic design and advertising art.Commercial art traditionally...
students of the Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya http://www.google.co.in/search?q=abhinav+kala+mahavidyalaya&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en-GB___IN344, Tilak Road, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, India who committed 10 murders between January 1976 and March 1977, and were hanged to death on 27 November 1983. The quartet had acquired a reputation for bad conduct on their college campus. They frequently robbed and indulged in drinking.
16 January 1976 - Prakash Hegde
Prakash was a colleague whose father, Sundar Hegde, ran a small hotel named Vishwa http://potoba.blogspot.com/2008/03/thalipeeth.html behind Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya. The group hatched a plot to kidnap Prakash for ransomRansom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
. On 15 January 1976, the foursome along with classmate Suhas Chandak picked up Prakash on a false pretence and took him to Jakkal's tin shed on Karve Road. They forced him to write a runaway note to his father stating that he was leaving home. On the night of 16 January 1976, they gagged him and took him to Peshwe Park http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en-GB___IN344&hs=8Y2&q=peshwe+park+pune&btnG=Search&meta=&aq=0&oq=peshwe+pa. They strangled Prakash with a nylon rope, placed his body in an iron barrel, inserted some stones and dumped the barrel into the lake. The following day, they sent a ransom note to Sundar Hegde.
August 1976 - Kolhapur
The gang moved to the city of Kolhapur in August 1976, but were unsuccessful when they targeted the house of a local businessman.31 October 1976 - Joshi
Achyut JoshiJoshi
Joshi is a family name common in India and Nepal. Whereas the Joshi's of India are of Brahmin origin, the Joshi's of Nepal are either Newars or Khas-Brahmin...
from Vijaynagar was attacked on the night of 31 October. The group forced themselves into his house brandishing their knives. Achyut Joshi and his wife Usha were the only ones at home. After tying their hands and legs, the duo killed the married couple by strangulating Achyut Joshi with a nylon rope and suffocating his wife. When the Joshi's teenaged son Anand walked in, he was stripped naked and strangulated with the same identical nylon rope. After the murders they decamped with the booty – a mangalsutra
Mangalsutra
A Mangalsutra is a symbol of Hindu marriage union in South Asia. It is a sacred thread of love and goodwill worn by women as a symbol of their marriage...
, a watch and few thousand rupees.
22 November 1976 - Bafna
Yashomati BafnaBafna
Bafna also spelt Bafana is an Indian Jain community, and also the surname used by this community. The name is derived from Bahufana and Bafanha. They were originally Hindu Rajput and later converted to Jainism. However, they still continue to follow their earlier Hindu traditions as were allowed...
's bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
on Shankarseth road was attacked on the evening of 22 November. They, however, faced resistance from Bafna and her two servants and escaped by climbing the barbed wire fence of the bungalow.
1 December 1976 - Abhyankar
On 1 December, at around 8 p.m., they attacked the Abhyankar bunglow Smriti on Bhandarkar road. http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=16738 There were five people at the house: noted SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
scholar Kashinath Shastri Abhyankar (88), his wife Indirabai (76), their maid Sakubai Wagh (60), granddaughter Jai (21) and grandson Dhananjay (19). The four gained entry by ringing the doorbell. When Dhananjay opened the door, they stuffed his mouth with a ball of cloth, tied his hands and asked him to direct them inside the house. The men eliminated each of the members by stuffing their mouths with a ball of cloth, tying both their hands and legs and then strangulating with the nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
rope. Their granddaughter Jai, was stripped naked and forced to direct them to the valuables in the house before she was killed.
23 March 1977 - Anil Gokhale
Anil GokhaleGokhale
Gokhale is an Indian surname typically found in the western state of Maharashtra amongst Chitpavan Kokanastha Brahmins. The supposed origin of the Gokhale clan was in the small coastal town of Velneshwar about 10km from Guhagar and 50km from Chiplun in the Konkan region...
was the younger brother of their college friend, Jayant Gokhale. On the evening of 23 March 1977, Anil was supposed to meet his brother at Alka Talkies. Anil was offered a lift home by Jakkal on his motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
. He was taken to Jakkal's shed and strangulated with the nylon rope. His body was tied to an unused iron ladder, weighed down with big boulders and dumped into the Mula-Mutha river near Bund Garden http://www.mustseeindia.com/Pune-Bund-Garden/attraction/11203.
Investigation
Assistant Commissioner of Police Madhusudan Hulyalkar led the investigation.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune-times/How-to-catch-a-serial-killer/articleshow/1283401768.cms On the evening of 24 March, the body of Anil GokhaleGokhale
Gokhale is an Indian surname typically found in the western state of Maharashtra amongst Chitpavan Kokanastha Brahmins. The supposed origin of the Gokhale clan was in the small coastal town of Velneshwar about 10km from Guhagar and 50km from Chiplun in the Konkan region...
surfaced near Yerawada. The police team, led by Police Inspector Manikrao Damame, realized the nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
ropes used to tie the body to the ladder had been fastened in a manner identical to the prior murders. When investigated, the four boys contradicted each other about their joint movements in the city over the past week.
Satish Gore, a colleague, broke down in the course of police interrogation and confessed. Further confessions made by another classmate, Suhas Chandak, who was witness to the Hegde killing. The killers were apprehended on 30 March 1977
Court Case
Shamrao G. Samant, a renowned and senior criminal lawyer who had successfully conducted many prosecutions for the State Government, was appointed the Special Public Prosecutor for the trial. The case began on 15 May 1978 in the Pune district and lasted for more than four months. On 28 September 1978 they were sentenced to death by Pune Sessions Court judge Waman Narayan BapatBapat
Bapat is a family name in the Chitpavan Kokanastha Community, that originated from Maharastra, India.Bapat's belong to Vasishtha Gotra from 14 gotras of Chitpavans....
. Their sentences were confirmed by the Bombay High Court on 6 April 1979 and their special leave petition against their convictions and sentences were dismissed by the Supreme Court on 17 November 1980.
Appeal
After both the High CourtHigh Court
The term High Court usually refers to the superior court of a country or state. In some countries, it is the highest court . In others, it is positioned lower in the hierarchy of courts The term High Court usually refers to the superior court (or supreme court) of a country or state. In some...
and Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
s turned down their appeals, the accused approached the President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
for a pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
. The president did not concede, and the four were hanged at the Yerawada central jail on 27 November 1983.
Films
- Maaficha Sakshidar (1986) starring Nana PatekarNana PatekarVishwanath "Nana" Patekar is an Indian actor and filmmaker.-Biography:Born Vishwanath Patekar in Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra, to Dinkar Patekar and his wife Sanjanabai Patekar. He is an alumnus of the Sir J.J...
http://passionforcinema.com/serial-killings-scene-in-india/ - PaanchPaanchPaanch is an unreleased Indian film written and directed by Anurag Kashyap and starring Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Vijay Maurya, Joy Fernandes and Tejaswini Kolhapure. The film is "loosely" based on the 1976-77 Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders in Pune. The film never got a theatrical or...
(2003) by Anurag KashyapAnurag Kashyap (director)Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356982/
See also
- Geeta and Sanjay Chopra kidnapping case
- Auto ShankarAuto ShankarAuto Shankar is the nickname of an Indian serial killer.-Murders:Shankar and his gang were found guilty of six murders, committed over a period of two years in 1988–1989. They were tried for the murders of Lalitha, Sudalai, Sampath, Mohan, Govindaraj and Ravi...
- Raman RaghavRaman RaghavRaman Raghav , also known as Psycho Raman, was a psychopathic serial killer who operated in the city of Mumbai, India in the mid-1960s. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia after his arrest...
- StonemanStonemanThe Stoneman was a name given by the popular English language print media of Kolkata to an alleged serial killer who menaced the streets of that city in 1989....
External links
- http://www.rahulchandawarkar.com/news/general/general03float.htm
- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune-times/How-to-catch-a-serial-killer/articleshow/1283401768.cms
- http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=16738
- http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080618/jsp/entertainment/story_9425771.jsp
- http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060111/asp/careergraph/story_5703655.asp