Nagpur: Horror unfolded in the quiet Fetri area under Kalmeshwar police station limits near Nagpur on Friday after the blood-soaked body of a 21-year-old college student was found inside an OYO hotel room, triggering panic and outrage. Police suspect the young woman was brutally murdered by her boyfriend, who made a dramatic escape by jumping from the first floor of the hotel in the dead of night.
The deceased has been identified as Ruchita Rajesh Bhange (21), a resident of Welcome Society, Borgaon, and a final-year BA student at Dhanwate National College. The prime accused, Saurabh alias Bittu Jamgade (25) of Ashti, is currently absconding, with police launching an intense manhunt to nab him.
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23 Jan 2026
According to police, Ruchita and Saurabh were in a relationship for some time, but it had turned toxic, marked by frequent quarrels, harassment and physical violence. Based on a complaint lodged by Ruchita’s father, Rajesh Bhange, police revealed that the accused had been relentlessly stalking and harassing her despite repeated warnings from the family.
A senior police official disclosed that just four days before the murder, the accused had assaulted Ruchita during police recruitment exam preparations and forcibly took away her mobile phone. Disturbed by the incident, Ruchita had confided in a close friend.
On January 22, Ruchita left home in the afternoon and never returned. Police investigations revealed that the couple checked into Rahul Service Apartment–1, an OYO property in Fetri, on Thursday. Trouble erupted almost immediately after check-in, as the duo got into a heated argument so intense that hotel staff were forced to intervene.
The dispute escalated to the point where hotel management had to counsel the couple. The accused allegedly assured staff that there would be no further disturbance, temporarily diffusing the situation.
However, what followed was a chilling act of violence. Police said that during the night, after another fierce argument, Saurabh allegedly stabbed Ruchita in the neck, killing her on the spot. After committing the murder, he fled the scene in a cinematic escape, jumping from the first floor of the lodge and vanishing into the darkness.
The gruesome crime came to light on Friday morning when repeated checkout calls by hotel staff went unanswered. When knocking yielded no response, staff entered Room No. 105 on the first floor, only to find Ruchita lying motionless in a pool of blood on the bed, with a knife found at the spot.
The hotel management immediately alerted the Kalmeshwar Police, who rushed to the scene and began investigations. Ruchita’s body was sent to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for post-mortem examination.
Police informed the devastated family on January 23 about the shocking discovery. Meanwhile, teams have been formed to trace the absconding accused, and further investigation is underway.
The brutal murder has sent shockwaves across the Fetri area, once again raising disturbing questions about unchecked obsession, stalking, and violence in intimate relationships.
