The investigation into the death of an 82-year-old man in a hit-and-run case in Nagpur has revealed a gruesome murder conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by his daughter-in-law to seize family property worth Rs 300 crore.
Archana Manish Puttewar, an assistant director in the town planning department, was arrested last week, over two weeks after her father-in-law, Purushottam Puttewar, was run over by a car.
A police officer told the media that Archana Manish Puttewar hired people for the hit and spent approximately Rs 1 crore. “She provided funds to the accused to purchase a used car to knock down her father-in-law, making the murder look like an accident. This was apparently done to gain control of his property worth Rs 300 crore,” the officer said.
The officer further added that the 53-year-old woman allegedly plotted the murder with her husband’s driver, Bagde, and two other individuals, Neeraj Nimje and Sachin Dharmik.
They have been charged with murder and other sections under the IPC and Motor Vehicles Act. The police have seized two cars, gold jewellery, and mobile phones as part of the investigation.
On the day of the incident, Purushottam Puttewar had visited the hospital to see his wife, Shakuntala, who was recovering from surgery. On his way back, the hired car ran him over. Purushottam’s son and Archana’s husband, Manish, is a doctor.
The investigation has also uncovered significant irregularities in Archana Manish Puttewar’s work within the town planning department. Despite multiple complaints against her for violating norms and clearing illegal layouts, no action was taken due to her political connections, the probe found.
Her arrest on the serious charge of plotting her father-in-law’s murder may lead to a deeper investigation into the alleged irregularities in her professional conduct.
