Swadichchha Sane murder case: Court refuses to discharge lifeguard Mithu Singh
Sane, a third-year student at Sir JJ Hospital and Grant Medical College, was last seen at Bandstand with Singh on November 30, 2021, after which she went missing. Her body was allegedly dumped in the sea by Singh and his friend, co-accused Abdul Jabbar Sattar Ansari, but it is yet to be found
MUMBAI: The sessions court on Friday rejected the discharge application of lifeguard Mithu Sukhdev Singh, one of the main accused in the alleged murder of MBBS student Swadichchha Sane in November 2021 at Bandra Bandstand.
Sane, a third-year student at Sir JJ Hospital and Grant Medical College, was last seen at Bandstand with Singh on November 30, 2021, after which she went missing. Her body was allegedly dumped in the sea by Singh and his friend, co-accused Abdul Jabbar Sattar Ansari, but it is yet to be found.
According to charge-sheet submitted by the crime branch in court in April 23, Singh confessed to meeting Sane in the early hours of November 30. He allegedly tried to get intimate with her, but when she objected, a scuffle broke out between them. Singh then pushed her, and she sustained injuries on her head after hitting a rock, leading to her death.
The police were able to trace Sane’s location courtesy CCTV footage from Hotel Taj, immersion point and Galaxy Apartment, which showed that she had not left the Bandstand area on November 30. Her last location on Google was also Bandstand, and several autorickshaw drivers told the police they did not see her leaving the area that day.
Additional public prosecutor Ashwini Raykar submitted that the charge-sheet cited more than 100 witnesses, which showed that Singh was last seen with Sane while his subsequent conduct proved that he was responsible for the murder. After the scuffle between the duo, Singh called Ansari to help him dispose of the body. He also called Sane 13 times till 1.19pm in the afternoon, said the prosecutor.
{{/usCountry}}Additional public prosecutor Ashwini Raykar submitted that the charge-sheet cited more than 100 witnesses, which showed that Singh was last seen with Sane while his subsequent conduct proved that he was responsible for the murder. After the scuffle between the duo, Singh called Ansari to help him dispose of the body. He also called Sane 13 times till 1.19pm in the afternoon, said the prosecutor.
{{/usCountry}}The defense submitted that Singh was falsely implicated in the case, and the material on record did not make out any prima facie case against him. They argued that the blood found on the fiber tube seized from Singh’s house did not match with the DNA of Sane’s parents. There was no reason for Singh to call Sane thirteen times if he had killed her, the defense claimed, submitting that the whole case was premised on baseless claims not backed by evidence.
{{/usCountry}}The defense submitted that Singh was falsely implicated in the case, and the material on record did not make out any prima facie case against him. They argued that the blood found on the fiber tube seized from Singh’s house did not match with the DNA of Sane’s parents. There was no reason for Singh to call Sane thirteen times if he had killed her, the defense claimed, submitting that the whole case was premised on baseless claims not backed by evidence.
{{/usCountry}}Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.