Husband Arrested After Three-Year Investigation Into Snake Murder of Wife in Maharashtra

Further investigation is underway, according to officials. (Representational)

Thane:

Police in Badlapur have apprehended a man along with three accomplices following a three-year investigation into the murder of his wife using a venomous snake.

The incident occurred on July 10, 2022, when Neerja Rupesh Ambekar was found dead at her home in Ujwaldeep Society, Badlapur East. Initially, authorities recorded the death as accidental.

However, investigators became suspicious after detecting inconsistencies in witness testimonies, according to a police official.

The investigation revealed that the husband, Rupesh (40), had grown increasingly frustrated by ongoing domestic disputes. He allegedly collaborated with his friends Rishikesh Ramesh Chalke and Kunal Vishwanath Chaudhary (25) to plan his wife's murder.

The group reportedly enlisted Chetan Vijay Dudhan (36), who volunteers as a snake rescuer, to provide a poisonous snake. The accused allegedly used the snake to bite the woman, resulting in her death.

Senior Inspector Nitin Patil confirmed that authorities filed a murder FIR on Thursday and are continuing their investigation into the case.