Married businessman's affair with 21-year-old Lavani dancer; Govind Jagannath Barge found dead with gunshot wound to the head

MUMBAI: Govind Jagannath Barge, a 38-year-old married businessman, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head inside his car in Maharashtra's Solapur district. Police recovered a pistol from inside the car, which was parked at Sasure village in Barshi Taluka in Solapur. The Vairag police discovered the car after they were alerted about the vehicle in the area.

Although initially assumed to be a suicide, the police are investigating all possible angles, including murder. 21-year-old Lavani dancer Pooja Devidas Gaikwad has been arrested on charges of abetment to suicide.

Beed resident Govind Barge was a married businessman who had two children. He was reportedly in a romantic relationship with Lavani dancer Pooja Gaikwad, a resident of Sasure village.

According to the police, Barge had gifted the Lavani dancer gold ornaments and a mobile phone worth around Rs 2.5 lakh. The two had been fighting regularly in the days leading up to Govind's death. Govind reportedly went to Pooja's house in a car on Monday night.

Laxman Jagannath Chavan, Govind's brother-in-law, filed an official complaint with the Vairag police following the incident. Chavan alleged in his complaint that Gaikwad had repeatedly blackmailed Govind by threatening to file a rape case. He claimed that the two had not been in touch with each other recently and that Govind was upset due to the constant harassment from the dancer.

Pooja Gaikwad has been arrested under charges of abetment to suicide, but the victim's family has raised serious doubts about the suicide theory and alleged that it was a murder.