Nagpur: An Akola court on Tuesday sentenced Manish Mhatre to death for the murder of his wife and nine-year-old daughter, while also imposing a fine of Rs 10,000. The court further ordered that if the sentence is commuted or substituted under law, Mhatre shall remain imprisoned for the remainder of his natural life.Additional district and sessions judge Tejwant Singh Agrejsingh Sandhu pronounced the sentence after convicting Mhatre on Sept 17.According to the prosecution, Mhatre walked into a police station at around 5.30 am on April 24, 2024, accompanied by two cousins, and allegedly informed officers that he had killed his wife and daughter with an axe. Following the disclosure, assistant sub-inspector Sanjay Bhagat, who lodged the complaint, proceeded to Mhatre’s residence.At the house, police found the bodies of Rashmi Mhatre (30) and her nine-year-old daughter, Mahi, lying in pools of blood. Investigators also recovered an axe and an iron rod allegedly stained with blood.The prosecution told the court that Mhatre and his wife had been living separately for nearly five years following a family dispute. Rashmi and Mahi were residing in Mumbai, where Rashmi was employed in a private company. They had travelled to Akola to attend a family wedding scheduled for April 26 and were staying at Mhatre’s home when the killings took place.According to the prosecution, Mhatre suspected his wife’s character and attacked both victims while they were asleep. Post-mortem examination later revealed that Rashmi was around 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.The prosecution built its case on circumstantial, medical and forensic evidence and examined 14 witnesses during the trial. Although Mhatre’s father and a neighbour turned hostile and did not support the prosecution’s case, prosecutors argued that the remaining evidence formed a complete and consistent chain establishing the accused’s guilt.Additional public prosecutor Mangesh Mankar represented the state, while PI Manoj Bahre led the investigation. Police head constable Ajay Wankhade and ASI Sunil Dipakwar of Ramdaspeth police station, along with ASI Anwar Khan of the CMS cell, assisted the prosecution during the trial.In its judgment, the court accepted the prosecution’s contention that the medical and forensic evidence, read together with the circumstantial material placed on record, conclusively established Mhatre’s involvement in the double murder.
