Latur man stayed with corpse of 70-year-old woman he raped, murdered: Maharashtra Police

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A man was detained on Monday for allegedly raping and murdering a 70-year-old woman in Maharashtra's Latur district, according to a police officer.

The crime was discovered when neighbours in Bheta, Ausa tehsil, noticed a foul odor coming from the house of 35-year-old Mansur Shaikh and alerted the police, news agency PTI reported.

"Our investigation revealed that the woman was sexually assaulted and then strangled. The body has started to decompose, indicating the crime occurred about two days ago. Shaikh had been living in the house with the body since then," the officer stated.

The victim, a resident of Borgaon, located about 10 kilometers from Bheta, had been staying in the village for a few days. Shaikh reportedly took her to his home, where he raped and then killed her. He had been living alone after his wife and mother left him, and is believed to be mentally unstable, the official added.

The police are in the process of registering a case of rape and murder at the Bheta police station, and Shaikh, who has been detained, will be formally arrested.

In the past few days, several cases of sexual assault have come to light in Maharashtra.

Three people were arrested in Washim for kidnapping and raping a 13-year-old girl. Washim Superintendent Of Police Anuj Tare told ANI, "On August 21, an FIR (first information report) was lodged stating that a girl aged 13 had been kidnapped. On August 22, we found the girl. Based on her statement and medical examination, it was revealed that she had been raped. Based on the names she had given, we have arrested three people."

In Kandivli, a 31-year-old man was recently caught sexually abusing his two-year-old neighbour. His neighbours have also accused him of stealing their undergarments. In the past, the man had also flashed a 14-year-old girl in the same neighbourhood, but a case was not registered against him at the time, said the police. "The mother of the minor girl had witnessed the sexual abuse on August 8. When the mother screamed at him, the accused threatened to harm her if she told anyone," said an officer privy to the investigation. However, the child's mother approached the police, who registered a case against him last week, following which he was arrested.

(With PTI inputs)