Wai (Maharashtra): Satara District Police on Friday exhumed a sixth skeleton believed to be that of a woman, from an open space near the house of Santosh Pol, now dubbed as 'Dr Death', in Dhom village, 13 kms from here.
According to police, Pol has confessed to killing six people, including five women, between 2003 and 2016. Earlier, he had told his interrogators that he had thrown Vanita Gaikwad's body into backwaters of Dhom reservoir.
However, he later changed his statement and told the cops that he had buried the body of Gaikwad in an open space near his house in the village in August 2006.
"We had interrogated Pol and as per the information given by him, we started the work of digging at the spot and exhumed a skeleton.”
"It is believed to be that of Gaikwad. It will be confirmed once the forensic report comes," Vijay Pawar, Additional Superintendent of Police, Satara, said.
Gaikwad used to live a few houses away from the spot where her body was buried.
Remains of the first victim, Surekha Chikane, whom Pol had allegedly killed in 2003, were exhumed from the same place. Other four skeletons were found buried in his poultry farm, 3 kms from his house.
Meanwhile, a large posse of police escorted Pol to his house where the work of digging started in the presence of witnesses and the police 'patil' of the village.
With curiosity gripping Satara, the entire village has been gathering around Pol's house to see police recover the remains of the victims.
42-year-old Pol, who claims to have a BAMS degree in electropathy, was arrested last week in connection with the murder of a woman anganwadi worker, Mangala Jedhe. The police is probing the authenticity of his degree. Several families in the area have approached police about missing persons in and around Wai, saying they fear foul play.
