PUNE: A 34-year-old woman whose family believed she was studying in London was found dead in a rented apartment in Pune, days after food delivery transactions alerted her parents to the possibility that she had returned to India.

Mugdha Deshmukh, a native of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, was found dead inside her apartment at the Lodha Belmondo residential complex in Gahunje, Pimpri Chinchwad, on Thursday. Police said there were no visible injury marks on her body.

Mugdha had left for the UK in July 2025 to pursue an MBA. However, without informing her family, she returned to India in August and began living in the rented apartment, police said.

According to investigators, Mugdha lived alone in London and had taken up part-time jobs. Her family remained in touch with her through phone calls and messages and believed she was still in the UK.

Food delivery transactions raise suspicion

The family became concerned on October 24 when they were unable to contact Mugdha. Her mobile phone was subsequently switched off, her father Avinash Deshmukh stated in a complaint lodged with the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police earlier this week.

Her family then contacted a friend in London, who said the last communication with Mugdha had been through messages on October 22.

The friend approached London police to report her missing but was informed that she had left the UK around the end of August, an official said.

Concerned about her whereabouts, the family approached Indian authorities and the Indian High Commission for assistance.

Mugdha's father also examined her bank statements and noticed several transactions between October 8 and 25 on food delivery and online service platforms.

One of the transactions was suspected to have originated from the Osmanpura area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, leading the family to suspect that she could be in India.

The family subsequently approached the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar crime branch, fearing for her safety.

The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police traced Mugdha's location to the Lodha Belmondo complex in Gahunje and alerted their counterparts in Pimpri Chinchwad.

"We reached the flat she was residing in, gained entry with the help of a keymaker, and found her dead inside," said senior inspector Devendra Chavan of Shirgaon Police in Pimpri Chinchwad.

He added that there were no visible injury marks on the body, and her viscera was preserved to ascertain the exact cause of death.

During the investigation, police found that Mugdha had rented the apartment in April but began living there only after returning from the UK in August.

Police have launched a probe to establish the circumstances surrounding her death.