Maharashtra man kills his lover after a marriage dispute. (Photo: Canva modified)
A brutal crime was revealed in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, where a man is said to have murdered his girlfriend and thrown her body into a ditch following prolonged altercations about his intention to wed another woman. The accused Durvas Darshan Patil was apprehended almost two weeks after he had sent his girlfriend, Bhakti Jitendra Mayekar (26), missing on August 17.
Mayekar had told her family that she was meeting up with a friend on the day of her disappearance, said police. Her family filed a missing person’s complaint when she did not return. The police later tracked Mayekar’s mobile location in and around the Khandala area and narrowed down their search to Patil. He was questioned and, admitting to the crime, told police that he had strangled Mayekar after an altercation and disposed of the body in Amba Ghat. He also confessed that the couple frequently fought regarding his intended marriage to a woman. The police have recovered Mayekar’s body and arrested Patil and his two assistants, Vishwas Vijay Pawar and Sushant Shantaram Naralkar, who allegedly assisted in the disposal of the body.
The incident still continues and with Mumbai a city regarded as one of the safest cities in India is now reeling under a horrific trend of rising crime against women. Data released by the Mumbai Police indicates that the city has experienced a 15% rise in crime against women in the first six months for the current period in 2023. In fact, between January to June, 3,582 crime against women reports were filed with the police, compared to 3,092 in the same six month period of last year 2024.
Shocked, cases of rape went up from 476 in 2024 to 602 cases in 2025, an increase of 26%. Kidnapping cases also went up sharply, reaching 720 cases this year, up by a record 126 cases from the previous year. Outraging the modesty of women, offences registered under Section 354 of the IPC and associated provisions, rose to 1,294 in 2025, from 1,169 in 2024. Mumbai collectively reported 28,767 cases under different crime heads during the first half of 2025, marking a consistent rise over 28,433 cases during the similar period last year.
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience reporting on Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes journalism plays a crucial role in amplifying unheard voices and bringing attention to issues that truly matter. Sofia has contributed articles to The New Indian Express, Youth Ki Awaaz, and Maktoob Media. She is also a recipient of the 2025 Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitivity. Beyond the newsroom, she is a music enthusiast who enjoys singing. Connect with Sofia on X: https://x.com/SBCism
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