Pune: Court Acquits Salim Shaikh in Lonavala Double Murder Case Due to Lack of Evidence
Pune : In a significant ruling, the court has acquitted Salim Shabbir Shaikh, who was accused in the Lonavala double murder case that took place seven years ago. The court cited insufficient evidence as the reason for Shaikh’s acquittal, despite the severity of the charges against him. The other accused, who was a minor at the time, was released earlier.
The incident, which took place on April 3, 2017, involved the brutal murder of two students, Sarthak Wakchaure and Shruti Dumbre, who were studying at Sinhagad College in Lonavala. The two friends had gone sightseeing in the hills behind Bhushi Dam when their bodies were discovered near INS Shivaji. Both victims had been stripped, their hands and legs tied, and their heads crushed. Multiple injury marks were found on their bodies.
The gruesome nature of the murders sparked outrage among students and the local community, leading to widespread demands for the arrest of the culprits. The police, in response, constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. Within two and a half months, the police arrested Salim Shaikh and Asif Shaikh, the latter being a minor, and subsequently released.
During the investigation, a police informant revealed that one of the accused had confessed to the murders while under the influence of alcohol. This led to the arrest of both individuals. According to police reports, the accused admitted in the police interrogation that the murders were committed during a robbery attempt.
On the day of the incident, Asif and Salim encountered Sarthak and Shruti in a deserted area and initially questioned them. Sarthak assured the men that they would leave the area soon, prompting Asif and Salim to walk away. However, they returned after five minutes and took the students to a nearby bush. The situation escalated when the accused forced Sarthak to undress and threatened Shruti with a sharp weapon, taking her aside.
A scuffle ensued when Sarthak attempted to intervene, resulting in his death at the hands of the accused. Hearing Shruti’s screams, the perpetrators decided to kill her as well. They tied her hands with a cloth and killed her by crushing her with a stone. Following the murders, the accused fled with two mobile phones and one thousand rupees in cash.
Despite the confessions and the brutality of the crime, the court found that the charges of theft were not adequately proven, leading to Salim Shaikh’s acquittal. The verdict has left many in shock, as there was an expectation that the accused would receive severe punishment for their actions.
