Maharashtra Police have recovered five bodies from a doctor's farmhouse after he confessed to killing six people in the last few years by administering lethal overdose of medicines.
Dr. Santosh Pol, also known as 'Dr. Death', was arrested last week over charges of kidnapping and killing an 'aanganwadi' worker. The six people killed so far include five women and a man, Wai Police Station Inspector Padmakar Ghanvat was quoted as saying by IANS.
Pol's crimes came to light when police were probing the mysterious disappearance of 49-year-old Mangal Jedhe, President of the Maharashtra Purva Prathmik Shikshika Sevika Sangh (MPPSSS). Jedhe was missing since she left Wai for Pune to attend her daughter's delivery.
According to police, Jedhe was in contact with Pol before leaving for Pune. She had also threatened to expose Pol's criminal activities.
Jedhe was kidnapped by Pol and his associates, including Jyoti Mandre, from Wai bus depot. She was taken to the doctor's farmhouse and given an overdose of a lethal medicine. Jedhe died next day, the agency reported. The body was buried at an isolated area in the farmhouse.
Police were able to track down Jedhe after the MPPSSS demanded that the state CID investigate the matter. Mandre reportedly told police about Pol's whereabouts.
Pol was arrested from Dadar on Aug 13 and remanded to a week in police custody, while Mandre was sent to four days custody. Police recovered Jedhe's body from the farmhouse after Pol confessed to the crime.
Pol was in a relationship with both Jedhe and Mandre, police said. The doctor and Mandre decided to kill Jedhe when she threatened to expose them. She was also jealous of their affair.
Pol has also confessed to killing five other women and a man in the last few years. The bodies of the women were buried at his farmhouse, while the body of the man was thrown into a local water reservoir. All of them were declared missing by local authorities, IANS reported.
According to police, Pol used his medical knowledge to kill all those who threatended to expose him.
The other victims were tentatively identified as Salma Shaikh, Jagabai Pol, Surekha Chikane, Vanita Gaikwad and Nathmal Bhandare. Police said that the exact details would be known only after the investigation is complete.
MPPSSS has also demanded a probe into incidents of women missing from Wai since 2003.
