Apparently, her husband, Ravindra Chougule, paid the notorious Pravin Shintre 'supari' of Rs 4 lakh for the murder.
Ravindra took Sheetal, mother of three small children, to Belgaum for shopping on August 11 and asked her to alight short of the city, near a temple. He then took her to Rajesh Mense, a Shintre gang member's house, and left her there on the pretext of some work. What happened next is something that a woman dreads of.
The five-member gang raped her continuously for many hours, strangled her to death and dumped her body. According to Hemant Nimbalkar, Superintendent of Police, Belgaum, Ravindra himself lodged a complaint stating that his wife was missing.
Role of police
Coming down heavily on the role of the police in failing to nab the gangsters, despite numerous cases against them, Chairperson of State Women's Commission, Pramila Nesargi said, " The less said about the police, the better. There was no justification in letting such gangsters loose, time and again only to be free to commit more crimes."
She added that she would go to the City on Thursday and expedite justice in Sheetal's case.
In his defence, SP Nimbalkar said the police had been doing their job and had arrested four of the gang members along with Ravindra Chougule. To detect the murder and recover the body was a tricky job, specially in cases such as this one, where the attack came from one's closest family member, he added.
Apparently, Pravin Shintre has 38 cases registered against him. He is still at large. Apparently, there have been two prior murders, including another 'supari' murder at the same house where Sheetal was raped and murdered, by the same gang.
Sheetal’s family, according to her uncle Yeshwant Kadam, was unaware that Ravindra was involved with one Reena Tahsildar, nine years back, before their marriage. Apparently, Ravindra now wanted to marry his pre and extra-marital love Reena, and masterminded his wife's end. If Sheetal was aware of this relationship, she did not let her family know, said Kadam.
Nikita (8), Shreya (5) and Manasvi (2), have lost their mother to a heinous crime. It has not been decided who will take care of them. Their mother is dead and their father in jail. 
Rumour goes that he is an influential contractor who might get off easily. But, all Sheetal's family wants is justice for their innocent daughter.