Vasai man who killed girlfriend, threw cops off trail for 2 months, arrested

The accused disposed of his girlfriend’s body in a swamp in nearby Naigaon. He then tossed her mobile phone into a Delhi-bound express train to mislead the police

MUMBAI: Probably inspired by Bollywood blockbuster Drishyam, the owner of a bakery in Vasai East allegedly killed his 25-year-old girlfriend two months ago and disposed of her body in a swamp in nearby Naigaon. He then tossed her mobile phone into a Delhi-bound express train to mislead the police, a ruse used in the Ajay Devgn starrer. The accused was arrested on Thursday by the Crime Branch of the Mira-Bhayander-Vasai Virar police.

Vasai man who killed girlfriend, threw cops off trail for 2 months, arrested

The deceased, Priya Singh, who had a B Ed degree and was preparing for competitive exams, had travelled from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh to visit the accused, Amit Singh. Police said the couple had checked into a hotel at Sativali in Vasai East on December 16 last year. During this time, Priya apparently insisted on getting married, which led to a fight, which in turn led to her murder.

According to Avinash Ambure, deputy commissioner of police, MBVV Crime Branch, Amit, who too hails from Gorakhpur, met Priya two years ago in Gorakhpur. The two started dating and Priya would often fly to Mumbai for a day just to meet Amit, said the police.

On December 23, the Waliv police received several distress calls from Priya, who claimed Amit had assaulted her. The couple was summoned to the police station and Amit was cautioned.

On December 25, Amit allegedly lured Priya to Naigaon, to a dark spot near some mangroves, allegedly strangled her with her sweatshirt, and dumped her body in a swamp. The next day, he switched on Priya’s phone at the Vasai railway station and tossed it in the dustbin of an express train proceeding to New Delhi. But he hadn’t though it through.

Police started searching for Priya when her parents reported her missing. Police sub-inspector Shivanshu Singh with the AIIMS GKP police station in Gorakhpur said the location data of Priya’s phone revealed that she had been in Vasai with Amit, whom they traced through calls Priya had made from her phone. “On December 26, both handsets were found active near Vasai railway station,” said the police officer.

Amit, however, claimed he had dropped off Priya at Vasai station. He said Priya was angry as his parents had refused to accept her and he had broken off their relationship.

After tracking Priya’s phone location data, a police team from Gorakhpur reached Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station in Delhi and found her phone being used by a woman rag picker. She had found the phone in the garbage, wrapped in white paper. “We sensed foul play as soon as she (the rag picker) said the phone had been wrapped and disposed of,” said Singh.

PSI Shivanshu Singh, along with the local police, arrested Amit on Thursday. He has been charged with murder. “Amit confessed to killing Priya and dumping her body in a swamp in Naigaon. We have recovered her body and the sweatshirt Amit had used to strangle her,” said Shahuraj Ranaware, senior police inspector, Vasai unit of the MBVV Crime Branch.