Woman, 34, found dead in locked flat at Lodha Belmondo in Pune's Gahunje

The body of a 34-year-old woman was found in a locked flat in the Lodha Belmondo housing complex at Gahunje in Pune. The incident came to light on the night of Wednesday, October 28. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition. Her family believed she was studying in London.

The deceased has been identified as Mugdha Deshmukh, daughter of retired engineer Avinash Deshmukh of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. An accidental death case has been registered at Shirgaon police station in Pimpri Chinchwad. The police are examining all possibilities, including suicide and foul play.

After contact with Mugdha was lost, her father filed a missing person complaint at Osmanpura police station in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The Osmanpura police examined her bank account transactions and found payments made to Indian delivery apps Swiggy, Zomato and Blinkit. This led the police to the Lodha Belmondo address at Gahunje.

On Wednesday night, a team from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and the Pimpri Chinchwad police went to the flat. The door was locked from inside and a strong stench was coming from within. When the police broke open the door, they found Mugdha's body in the bedroom.

According to the complaint, Mugdha went to London in July 2025 for an MBA after her husband's death. Her family says she lived there alone and also worked part-time. She stayed in touch with her parents through video calls and messages.

Her last conversation with her mother was on October 23. She had said then that she was in a hurry because of a job interview. When her parents called the next evening, her phone was switched off. The family grew worried and approached the police.

During the inquiry, the police learnt from London police and immigration records that Mugdha had left the United Kingdom at the end of August 2026. This means she had been in India for about two months, although her family believed she was in London.

The preliminary investigation suggests that she had rented the flat at Gahunje and was living there without telling anyone.

The police have not yet stated the cause of death. They are trying to establish the exact cause, whether anyone else was involved, and why she chose to stay in Pune without informing her family.