Maharashtra's 'Dr Death' congratulates police for arresting him

Satara's 'Dr Death', the notorious serial killer who has also been a medical practitioner, sent out a handwritten note to the district police on 18 August, congratulating them on cracking the serial killing case that he has been accused of.

Santosh Pol, who was arrested for murdering at least six persons between 2003 and 2016, sent a hand-written note addressed to Superintendent of Police Sandip Patil.

Pol, who has worked as a doctor despite his dubious academic qualifications wrote: "If you ask me why I am doing all this, then the question should be asked to the corrupt officials from the (police) department and the dormant society between 2003 and 2016."

It was a police inspector from the local crime branch and the in-charge officer of Wai police station who cracked the case last month, Pol claimed. Patil said that Pol apparently wanted to say that the murders remained unsolved until now because the concerned officers during this period were corrupt.

"It shows how he is trying to be oversmart and how deceitful he is," said the SP.

Pol has been dubbed as 'Dr Death' by the local media. He confessed to the killings during the interrogation, police said.

Pol was earlier known for setting up the police officials and getting them caught in anti-corruption bureau's traps as well as resorting to blackmailing.

Police officers would stay away from him because of his reputation of being a nuisance, an official said.

Police said that Pol killed Surekha Chikane on 20 May 2003.

On 12 August 2006, he killed Vanita Gaikwad; on 13 August 2010, he killed Jagabai Pol.

Nathamal Bhandari, a jeweller, was killed on 7 December 2015. On 17 January 2016, he murdered Salma Shaikh, and on 16 June he killed Mangala Jedhe. It was Jedhe's disappearance which led the police to him.

The murders were committed for looting the victims, or to eliminate those who could spill the beans on previous murders, police added.

--PTI