Cops arrest youth for murder of girl in Vashi last week

CBD BELAPUR: A week after the body of a 17-year- old girl, who was murdered in Juhugaon area of Vashi, was found hanging by a rope in a tempo near Juhu gaon crematorium on April 12, the police arrested a 20-year- old man for strangulating her.

Although the accused Amar Singh tried to mislead the police by hanging the girl’s corpse, investigators had noted that the knot around her neck was loose and her feet were touching the ground.

Raosaheb Sardesai, senior police inspector of Vashi police station said, “Some identification documents found on the girl’s body helped us know that she worked in a bar in Kopar Khairane. We then got in touch with her sister who told us that she had gone to Chembur with Amar on April 11.”

When they did not find him in Chembur, the police went to his native village in Dholpur village, Rajasthan, from where he was arrested on Friday. Following this, Amar confessed to the crime.

“Amar told us that the girl was his paternal cousin and that he used to be in love with her. But she had slapped rape charges on him six months ago following which he paid her Rs2 lakh as compensation as per the orders of the village panchayat. It was after this that Amar decided to kill her,” said Sardesai.

Investigating officer Ramesh Chaudhary said that on April 11, Amar landed at the girl’s doorstep once again and asked her to marry him.

Although she did not agree to do so, he somehow persuaded her to go with him to Chembur. On their way back in a taxi at night, Amar strangled her.

The taxi driver realised that she was dead only when they were near Juhugaon. Then he asked Amar to get off the taxi and fled.

Following this, Amar hung her body from a tempo that was parked nearby and returned to Rajasthan, where he was hiding till the police arrested him.

Amar has been remanded in police custody.

BACHCHAN KUMAR Accused Amar Singh being taken away by the Vashi police.