Pune: Missing MPSC rank holder's decomposed body found near Rajgad Fort

The decomposed body of a 26-year-old woman, who achieved the position of Forest Range Officer (RFO) in the State Public Service Commission (MPSC) competitive exam, was discovered in the Sati Mal region of Rajgad fort in Velhe taluka.

The deceased was identified as Darshana Dattu Pawar (26), a resident of Kopargaon in Ahmednagar district.

According to the reports, Darshana had been preparing for competitive exams over the past few years and would frequently travel to Pune for her studies. In a recent development, she successfully passed the competitive exam and attained the esteemed position of Range Forest Officer (RFO). Upon her arrival in Pune on June 9, Darshana was honoured for her accomplishment by a private academy on June 11. The young woman who passed away resided in Pune's Narhe area. On June 12, she informed her family that she was leaving the area to visit Sinhagad Fort in the company of a friend. However, after June 12, neither Darshana nor her friend could be reached.

The families of both individuals lodged a report of their disappearance with the Pune City police when they were unable to locate them. Following the filing of the missing report, an investigation was launched. The last known whereabouts of the two individuals were in Velha. On Sunday, Darshana's mobile phone was discovered at the base of Rajgad Fort in Velha, leading to the subsequent recovery of her body.

"A probe has confirmed that the body found near Rajgad Fort was of Darshana Pawar. A report for her was registered at Sinhagad police station on June 15. Her cellphone has been recovered," said Senior Police Inspector Abhay Mahajan, The Indian Express reported.

In the meantime, police officials from the Velha police station of Pune Rural Police sent Darshana's body for postmortem examination and registered a case of accidental death. The police reported that the body was discovered in a partially decomposed state. An investigation has been initiated to ascertain the cause of Darshana's demise. Both the Pune City and Pune Rural police teams are actively searching for her missing friend.