Tardeo robbery-murder: Cops detain suspect

Police have arrested one suspect in the robbery that resulted in the death of a 70-year-old woman in Mumbai, while two others remain at large.

MUMBAI: Two days after a 70-year-old woman was killed in a robbery in Tardeo, police claimed to have nabbed one of the suspects on Tuesday, while two of his accomplices are at large.

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Confirming the development, a senior IPS said that the identity of the three accused have been ascertained and they are gathering technical evidence.

The police are not revealing the identity of the detained suspect saying that it could hamper investigation as two more are still at large.

On Monday, the police traced the trail of the three robbers to Pune. According to the police, after committing the crime, the trio got out of the building and took a taxi up to Metro cinema in South Mumbai. They then took another taxi to reach Dadar, from where they boarded a state transport bus for Pune.

Further trail led to nabbing of one suspect outside Maharashtra, a police officer said.

Surekha and her husband Madan Agarwal lived on the third floor of Yousuf Manzil on Kashinath street in Tardeo. The building does not have a security guard, which the three robbers, who conducted a recce before the burglary, had noted. CCTV camera footage showed them outside the building a day before the incident getting into a taxi. The police questioned the taxi driver and learnt that the accused went to Marine Drive after the recce on Saturday.

The robbers had also noted that Agarwal went for a morning walk every day. Consequently, on Sunday they landed up at the house between 6 am and 6.30 am. When Agarwal opened the door to leave for his walk, the trio dragged him inside the house and locked the door. They tied Agarwal’s hands and legs with adhesive tape and gagged his mouth.

The robbers then went to the bedroom where Surekha was asleep and bound her hands and legs and gagged her mouth with the adhesive tape. Thereafter, they opened the cupboard and decamped with valuables.

The incident came to light after the robbers left and Agarwal managed to crawl to the door and open it to seek help. However, the other two flats on the floor were locked. It was only around 7.45 am when one of his neighbours heard his screams for help that he rushed to help him.

The neighbour immediately informed the Tardeo police about the incident. Surekha was taken to Nair Hospital, but died there. Her husband’s condition is said to be stable.