A court in Pune has sentenced a man to life in prison for the murder of his wife, an incident that transpired 11 years ago. The decision was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Sumit Joshi on Tuesday.

The perpetrator, Ramchandra Sheu Chavan, was 53 years old at the time of the offense. Reports from the police indicate that on October 9, 2015, Chavan engaged in a violent confrontation with his 45-year-old wife, Sonabai. During this altercation, he reportedly confined his daughter-in-law, Sunita, along with her two young sons, within their home and then proceeded to assault Sonabai with an axe.

Authorities revealed that Chavan decapitated his wife and then walked through the streets of Katraj holding her severed head and the axe he had used. It is alleged that he committed the act due to suspicions of infidelity involving a family member.

Sunita subsequently filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Chavan at the Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station. He was charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 302 (murder), 201, 342, and 498-A, in addition to various sections of the Maharashtra Police Act.

On January 1, 2026, the police submitted a chargesheet to the Pune court against Chavan, who had no previous criminal history. He maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, claiming he did not kill his wife.

During the trial, the prosecution, represented by lawyer Premkumar Agarwal, called 24 witnesses, including medical professionals and the investigating officer, Shekhar Shinde.

The court noted that Sunita was a key witness, having witnessed the assault on her mother-in-law. She testified that she pleaded with Chavan to spare Sonabai while she was locked inside the house, hearing the sounds of the attack.

Another witness, a woman operating a tea stall, recounted seeing Chavan walking with his wife’s head and asked him if he had slaughtered a goat. Chavan reportedly confessed to her that he had killed his wife, which left her terrified as she noticed blood oozing from the severed head.

A nine-year-old girl, who was present near the crime scene while waiting for her school bus, also recognized Chavan during the court proceedings. Additionally, a witness who had moved abroad for work returned to testify, and another individual who captured video footage of Chavan was also called to the stand.

Chavan’s defense attorney, Sangram Kolhatkar, contended that the prosecution had failed to establish a clear sequence of events and did not adequately demonstrate a motive for the alleged crime. He further argued that the CCTV and video evidence should not be deemed reliable for a conviction.

While the court acknowledged that the prosecution did not definitively prove that Chavan harbored suspicions about his wife’s fidelity, it concluded that the collective evidence presented, including eyewitness testimonies and forensic findings, convincingly demonstrated his guilt.

As a result, the court sentenced Chavan to life imprisonment, noting that he has been incarcerated since the date of the offense on October 9, 2015, and is eligible for a reduction of his sentence for that period served.