Suspect in Panwadi elderly couple's murder held on Pune-Satara highway after chase from Yerawada

The suspect in the murder of an elderly couple in Panwadi village of Purandar taluka in Pune district has been arrested by Saswad and Rajgad police working together. The operation was carried out with a trap laid near the Nasrapur-Cheladi bridge on the Pune-Satara highway. The suspect was fleeing from Pune city towards Satara, and police had begun chasing him, film-style, from Yerawada itself.

The crime took place in Panwadi on October 25, 2026. Mohan Baburao Dhiwar (82-83 years) and his wife Ratnamala Mohan Dhiwar (72) were attacked with a sharp weapon and both died. The double murder had caused alarm across the area.

The couple's daughter, Ashwini Amar Kharat, filed a complaint at Saswad police station. On that basis, a case was registered against Ganesh Subhash Dhiwar, 27, a resident of Panwadi. According to the preliminary investigation, the crime is suspected to have stemmed from an issue over taking animals past the front of a house and an old quarrel on the day of Ganesh immersion.

During the investigation, technical analysis showed that the suspect was travelling from the Kharadi area towards Satara in a four-wheeler. Police then kept close watch on his every move along the route through Yerawada, Laxmi Nagar, Kharadi, Kondhwa, Navale Bridge and the Khed Shivapur toll plaza.

Senior Police Inspector Santosh Jadhav of Rajgad police station and his team planned blockades at Khed Shivapur, Nasrapur bridge, Kamthadi bridge, Kapurhol and Dhangawadi. As soon as the suspect's vehicle reached the Nasrapur-Cheladi bridge, Saswad and Rajgad police together surrounded it from all sides. In the operation, police constable Rahul Bhadale tactfully overpowered the suspect with the help of an INSAS rifle.

According to information provided by police, Ganesh Dhiwar has had cases registered against him earlier. These include a serious case registered at Chandannagar police station in 2017 involving kidnapping, sexual assault and the POCSO Act. There is also a 2023 case registered at Bund Garden police station.

Saswad police are currently investigating the case in depth. They are looking into the actual motive behind the killings, the weapon used and the remaining technical aspects.