Gunwanti Paraste (Pune): Pune rural police have managed to achieve a breakthrough in sensational Lonavala double murder case involving a girl and a boy who were studying at Sinhagad College.

Police stated that one suspected has been arrested while another one is on the run, while initial investigations have revealed that the motive behind the killings was ‘robbery’.

“The suspects have been identified as Asif Shaikh and Salim Shaikh alias Sandy, both residents of Lonavala,” police said.

The corpses of Sarthak Wakchoure (22) and Shruti Dumbre (21) were found in a forested area near INS Shivaji at Lonavala on April 3.

Both were undressed and had their hands tied behind their back. The postmortem report had claimed that  they were bludgeoned to death with a blunt object.

Police officials said injury marks were also found on girl’s body. The preliminary post-mortem report ruled out sexual assault.

The initial investigations have revealed that the accused had way-led the victims with the aim of robbery. They also tried to rape the girl but she fought back.

After their parents protested against lax attitude of police in solving the case, Pune rural police had formed a special investigation team (SIT) last month to solve the case and a reward of Rs 50,000 was also announced.

A team of  experts from various fields including Police Inspectors Ram Jadhav, Sunil Pawar and Sunil Patil were working together to crack the case. Finally, based on technical evidence, cops traced one of the suspects.

Vishwas Nagre Patil, Special Inspector General (IGP), Kolhapur range, said, “We have arrested one person who has theft cases registered against in the past.”

“SIT is doing its best. The investigation is on”, Pune rural SP Suvez Haque said.

Sarthak and Shruti were final-year students of Sinhgad Engineering College, Lonavla. Sarthak, a resident of Rahuri in Ahmednagar, was studying mechanical engineering. Shruti, who is from Otur in Pune, was pursuing a course in computer engineering.

According to Shruti’s friend, Sarthak and she had planned the outing. Shruti, who lived in the campus hostel, had told her friends that she was going out and would return late.

Police said a bike belonging to one of the victims was lying at the spot where the bodies were found.

Sarthak’s friend said the victim was an artist, who aspired to serve the country by joining the defence forces.

Shruti was the most educated person in her family and was to soon be employed at IT giant Accenture, in Pune.