A chilling discovery unfolded in a Goregaon housing society on Friday, as a couple in their mid-fifties was found dead. The tragedy unfolded at Topiwala Cooperative Housing Society, where 56-year-old Kishore Pednekar was found lying near some potted plants in the compound. His wife, Rajshree Pednekar (54), was found dead within their third-floor flat.
The Mumbai police have established that Kishore jumped off the building, leaving behind tree branches impacted by his fall. The authorities suspect foul play in Rajshree’s death, indicating she was strangled. Autopsy reports are awaited to determine the exact cause of their deaths.
The investigation is currently underway to piece together the sequence of events that led to this tragic incident. Police revealed that Kishore was involved in sales for fitness products in the Vasai-Virar belt. He was known to be suffering from a mental health condition and was under medication. Meanwhile, Rajshree worked as a physiotherapist in Malad. Their son, who resides in Delhi, was informed of the tragedy by the police and is en route to Mumbai.
The horrifying discovery was made around 5.30 am on Friday by a night watchman working at a bank located within the housing society premises. He found Kishore lying on the ground and immediately alerted the police. A team from Goregaon police station responded swiftly, transporting Kishore to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Upon notifying the family, they attempted to reach Rajshree on her cellphone but received no response. This prompted the police to use a key found on a chain around Kishore’s neck, which turned out to be the key to their third-floor flat. The apartment was locked from the outside. Upon gaining entry, the police discovered Rajshree’s body, with strangulation marks on her neck and blood near her body.
Further investigation revealed that around 4 am, Kishore had sent out text messages to some relatives, detailing the couple’s bank accounts and nominations. The society, unfortunately, does not have a permanent night watchman, leaving the day watchman as the only security personnel. The watchman informed TOI that the couple was friendly and that Kishore had personally placed the potted plants near where his body was found. He also mentioned that Kishore used to park his car in the same spot.
Society residents expressed their shock and disbelief, stating they were unaware of Kishore’s illness and had not witnessed any disagreements between the couple. The Goregaon police have, so far, recorded two accidental deaths. They are actively investigating the incident and will be conducting inquiries with the couple’s son and neighbors. A forensic team visited the society on Friday to collect samples as part of the ongoing investigation.
