E-Paper
Ulwe woman knew her killer, say police
A day after a 55-year-old woman was allegedly shot dead in her car in Ulwe, the police said the suspect in the case was known to the victim, and was “close to her”.
A day after a 55-year-old woman was allegedly shot dead in her car in Ulwe, the police said the suspect in the case was known to the victim, and was “close to her”.
No arrests have been made yet in the case but the police have found a suspect based on CCTV footages. According to them, the suspect is in his mid-30s and wore a white shirt and black trousers.
On Monday afternoon, the victim, Prabhavati Bhagat and her husband Balkrishna drove to a bank in sector 19, in their car. When Balkrishna went inside the bank, Bhagat waited for him in the car. Balkrishna came out to find his car was not where he had parked it. After checking nearby, he saw the car around 300 metres away near an under-construction site. He saw his wife in blood and a gunshot wound and rushed Bhagat to a hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.
In one of the footages, the suspect is seen getting inside the car and driving it. An officer privy to the probe revealed that Bhagat, who was seated next to him, did not seem alarmed or cry for help when the accused entered the car or drove her away. “There were no signs of struggle. We also believe that the accused didn’t plan the murder beforehand, as the spot where her body was found wasn’t completely isolated. It seems the two got into a sudden fight near the under-construction spot, after which he shot her on the right side of the chest,” said the officer.
In another CCTV footage from the murder spot, the suspect is seen getting out of the car and walking away calmly. The police also found that the suspect and Bhagat’s son had entered into a fight before the murder took place. Officers are also verifying if the murder is a case of revenge killing.
The police seized a 7.62 mm bullet casing and the lead bullet from the car. The bullet exited Bhagat’s left side of the waist. However, they are puzzled to find out that the window pane of the driver’s side was shattered.The police have sent the bullet and casing to Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory for a ballistics test. There are no witnesses so far who either heard the gunshot or witnessed a possible fight between Bhagat and her killer.
Apart from her husband and son, who is in his late-20s, Bhagat is also survived by a daughter, who is married.
