The 12-year-old daughter of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar's personal assistant was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Baramati, Pune district, on Sunday, officials said. The deceased was identified as the daughter of Pawar's personal assistant, Ajit Dashavatare, according to police. One report, however, listed the girl's age as 14, and described her as a Class 9 student.
The body was found near the family's residence in the Sainagar area of Rui village in Baramati tehsil on Sunday morning, police said. Initial reports indicate the girl had a minor argument with her mother on Saturday and left home in anger; when she did not return, the family lodged a missing-person complaint with the police.
Police reached the spot after being alerted and sent the body to the Baramati Government Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination. A senior police official said the investigation was underway and all possible angles were being examined. The cause of death has not yet been established and is expected to be clarified after the post-mortem, according to reports.
Meanwhile, Additional Superintendent of Police (Baramati division) Ganesh Biradar told The Times of India, "It was a case of suicide. The girl allegedly jumped from the building's terrace." An officer from the Pune Rural police said that after arguing with her family, the girl left home on Saturday night. Later that night, a case of abduction was registered as the girl was a minor. Police had checked CCTV camera footage to trace the girl's movements, and a prima facie investigation suggested suicide, the officer said, adding that the postmortem report confirmed it and that there was no foul play. A case of accidental death has been registered.
Other reports, including from Deccan Chronicle, The Economic Times, Free Press Journal, India Today, and The Tribune, presented the incident as under investigation with the cause yet to be established. Free Press Journal reported that police had not yet determined whether the death was suicide, homicide, or an accident, and that investigators were examining CCTV footage, though coverage in the surrounding area was limited. India Today reported that police found the girl's slippers on the terrace of an adjacent building, with the terrace door found closed, as per Deputy Superintendent of Police Chaitanya Kadam.
MLA Rohit Pawar responds
Rohit Pawar reached Baramati Medical College and Hospital, where the body was taken, and called for a thorough investigation. According to Free Press Journal, Pawar said Dashavatare had been associated with him since his days as a zilla parishad member, and described the death as a major tragedy. He urged a thorough investigation and said negligence during the post-mortem or police investigation would not be tolerated.
In comments reported by The Times of India, Pawar said it was wrong to draw conclusions before further details emerged. He said he had met the doctors and the deputy superintendent of police and made it clear that "any negligence during the postmortem examination or police investigation will not be tolerated." He added that the girl's family was grieving and that the Pawars were standing by them. While refraining from blaming police specifically in the case, Pawar said the overall crime situation in Maharashtra was a matter of concern and reflected a lack of effective action by the state home department.
Investigation ongoing
The investigation is ongoing, with police examining all possible angles. The post-mortem examination is expected to provide further information, and investigators are collecting evidence and examining CCTV footage to establish the girl's movements after she left home. The incident has caused concern in Baramati, according to reports.