Woman Found Dead in Pune Flat After Secret Return from London

A 34-year-old woman, Mugdha Deshmukh, was found dead in a rented apartment in Pune, days after her family became aware of her presence in India through food delivery transactions.

Mugdha had left for the UK in July 2025 to pursue an MBA and had secretly returned to India in August, according to police.

Her family was unable to reach her on October 24, after which her mobile phone was switched off, as stated by her father, Avinash Deshmukh, in a complaint to the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police.

The family contacted her friend in London, who informed them that Mugdha last communicated with her on October 22. The friend then reported her missing to the London police, who stated she had left the UK by the end of August.

Concerned about her whereabouts, the family approached Indian authorities and the Indian High Commission for assistance. Her father examined her bank statements and noticed several food delivery and online service transactions between October 8 and 25.

One transaction was suspected to originate from the Osmanpura area in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, leading the family to believe she could be in India. They then approached the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar crime branch about her safety.

Senior inspector Devendra Chavan of Shirgaon Police in Pimpri Chinchwad said the police traced Mugdha's location to the Lodha Belmondo complex in Gahunje. They gained entry with the help of a keymaker and found her dead inside.

Chavan added that there were no visible injury marks on her body, and her viscera was preserved to determine the exact cause of death. Police also discovered she had rented the apartment in April but only began living there after leaving the UK in August. Further investigation is ongoing.