Sr citizen’s fight may have got her killed

Nagpur: Shashikala Thakre, in her late 60s, who single-handedly raised her two children after husband’s death around 27 years ago, seemed to have surprised the assailants with unexpected resistance that led to her murder at her home in Om Nagar on Monday.
Crime branch has already nabbed one suspect Pravin from Gondia on the basis of cell phone records, CCTV footage, and manual intelligence.His interrogation is now underway. They are on the lookout for another suspect Shiva Bangar who may be held soon.
The cops, who had already detained two others, feel the assailants decided on killing her at the last minute. Apart from crime branch, Sakkardara police too had sent a team to Gondia for the probe. Sakkardara cops, who once used the xerox centre run by Shashikala as it was near the police station for photo-copying numerous documents, are now probing her murder. With the family busy in her last rites after the post-mortem at Government Medical College and Hospital, the cops are learnt to be focusing on tracing the labourers whom Shashikala had engaged to shift the left over sand in front of the house.
The missing gold chain, ear-rings and finger ring on Shashikala’s hand and silver valuables are the strongest clues that the gruesome murder was by someone intent upon robbing her of those. The use of a pair of scissors, the kind used in kitchen, for murder also underlines the fact that murder was not planned but done at the spur of the moment as situation began slipping out of hand.
The devastated look of the room only pointed out at what level the senior citizen had taken her fight to stave off the robbers defending her hard-earned valuables till the last breath. However, the robbers could not spot Rs 40 lakh worth valuables kept in a safe in same room. They were left untouched.
A section of cops, taking clue from the ransacking, claimed the assailants weren’t prepared for the fightback at all. The glass of water and tea prepared for the assailants also pointed to the facts that Shashikala may have known them, senior cops feel. “Water is offered to strangers on humanitarian grounds but not tea. One mostly offers tea to known persons. This is a viable clue,” said one officer. He also said the rest of the family was not aware of the labourers engaged for the work as Shashikala handled all job including construction at her place herself.
Senior PI HP Mulani of Sakkardara police station too said that though police were focusing on robbery-gone-wrong theory, family members too would be questioned once the last rites are over.
Zonal DCP G Shreedhar, who claimed efforts were being made in every direction, said was also engaged in raising awareness regarding security of senior citizens. “Even while working in crime branch, I had held meetings on this issue,” he said. Former city police chief PKB Chakravorty suggested the cops must not come under pressure as citizens, media and politicians may rake up security issues against the backdrop of murder. “Neighbourhood policing is a must,” he said. The former DGP also added police should adopt a professional approach to the case.
Nimgade murder case to crime branch?
City police may shift the 72-year-old Eknath Nimgade murder case to crime branch. So far Tehsil police were probing the murder that took place on September 6. Nimgade was shot from close range and suffered five bullet injuries.
Other undetected senior citizen murders
2008: Mahendra Pratap Shrivastav, in his 70s, was murdered at his closed steel mill in MIDC Hingna
2008: An elderly couple murdered on Hingna road but assailants were never caught
2014: Roshni Pethkar, 62, murdered at her Manish Nagar residence
2015: Vasundhara Bal, in her 60s, found murdered at her residence in Tatya Tope Nagar
MURDERS
2011: 112 (111)
2012: 88 (87)
2013: 103 (98)
2014: 103 (97)
2015: 79 (75)
2016 (Till July): 51 (49)
(Figures in brackets indicates solved cases)