Pune court convicts man in 2017 Budhwar Peth murder of partner, awards life imprisonment

On July 29, district judge R K Kshirsagar convicted Sukhdev Ramdas Madavi, 27, for the 2017 murder of Bithi Molla in Pune's Budhwar Peth area.

Madavi was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined ₹50,000 under IPC sections 302 and 504, and Bombay Police Act sections 37(1) and 135.

The murder occurred on May 23, 2017, when Madavi stabbed Molla repeatedly in a crowded area after she refused to accompany him.

Police constable Suhas Nanasaheb Salunkhe witnessed the attack, intervened, and apprehended Madavi, sustaining injuries in the process.

The court found eyewitness testimonies consistent and trustworthy, convicting Madavi nearly nine years after the incident.