Upset over frequent quarrel, Pune man smothers wife, calls cops to confess murder

A real estate businessman in Pune allegedly confessed to murdering his wife amid financial stress and marital discord. The police investigation is ongoing as forensic teams gather evidence from the crime scene.

A late-night phone call to the police control room set off a chilling chain of events in Maharashtra’s Pune, where a real estate businessman allegedly confessed to murdering his wife inside their home, leaving officers to walk into a scene that confirmed his words.

The caller was 56-year-old Dilip Namburi Kandathil, who told police he had killed his wife, Bindu Kandathil, 53, at their residence in the Khadki area. Within minutes, a team from the Khadki Police Station reached the apartment in the Orion Complex. Inside the bedroom, they found Bindu lying motionless.

Investigators said the crime unfolded inside the house, with no signs of forced entry. As per the first information report, Kandathil allegedly smothered his wife by gagging her with a blanket, bringing the argument to a fatal end.

During questioning, Kandathil told police he had been living under intense financial pressure after suffering business losses and falling into debt. He also claimed that his wife was undergoing treatment for depression and that the couple’s relationship had been strained for some time.

According to police, the accused alleged that frequent quarrels broke out over suspicion and mistrust. He told investigators that his wife often accused him of meeting his former wife, from whom he is divorced. The repeated confrontations, he claimed, left him emotionally overwhelmed.

Soon after the alleged killing, Kandathil picked up the phone and alerted police himself, a move that led to his immediate detention. Officers took him into custody from the apartment as forensic teams began documenting the scene.