Vadodara: A 54-year-old man, who worked as a bus driver for a private school, was murdered after a dispute arose over the repayment of a loan taken in his name, with police arresting a couple for killing him and dumping his body near Jambuva bypass.Ramesh Ganpatrao Pawar, a resident of Ektanagar on Ajwa Road, had gone missing after leaving home in his autorickshaw. His family later lodged a missing person’s complaint with police.On Sep 9, Makarpura police found Pawar’s decomposed body near Sati Mata Hotel on Jambuva bypass. An unnatural death case was initially registered, but investigators concluded that he had been murdered.Police arrested Himanshu Khadse, 32, and his wife, Puja Khadse, 35, residents of Pratapnagar. According to police, Puja worked as a conductor on the same school bus for which Pawar was employed as a driver.Investigators said the couple took a loan in Pawar’s name and were allegedly defaulting on the EMIs. Pawar had been pressing them for repayment.On the night of Sep 7, Puja called Pawar to meet her and her husband near Baroda Dairy. Am argument erupted and Himanshu allegedly struck Pawar several times with a steel rod, killing him on the spot, police said.The couple then disposed of the body and Pawar’s mobile phone near the Jambuva bypass. His autorickshaw was abandoned near Chhani Canal before the couple fled, police added.Deputy commissioner of police Abhishek Gupta said the case was solved after investigators scrutinised more than 100 CCTV camera feeds, call detail records and other technical evidence to trace the accused.
