Man murders girlfriend, arrested after failed suicide attempt

A 24-year-old man has been booked by the Vakola police for the murder of his girlfriend, following which he tried and failed to commit suicide.

A 24-year-old man has been booked by the Vakola police for the murder of his girlfriend, following which he tried and failed to commit suicide.

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The accused, Vijay Kumar Harijan, and his girlfriend Sandhya Harijan, 23, both residents of Sewri, had gone to a lodge in Santacruz on Saturday morning. According to the police, hours later, Harijan left and did not return. When the staff noticed that there was no response from the room, they used a spare key to unlock the door and found Sandhya’s body.

The staff tried to contact Harijan but he was not reachable. They then informed the police, who rushed Sandhya to VN Desai Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.

“Harijan was very doubtful of Sandhya’s character. He used to feel that she was dating someone else despite being in a relationship with him,” said an officer from Vakola police station. “Harijan used a rope to strangle her and then left the room,” he said.

During the investigation, police were able to identify the couple by the Aadhaar card details they had submitted at the lodge at the time of checking in. Sandhya’s ID card mentioned that she was a resident of Sewri, following which Vakola police contacted the Sewri police for help in tracking the accused.

Gajanan Kurhade, senior inspector, Sewri police station said, “We sent our detection team to the victim’s address and also managed to get Harijan’s details. Meanwhile, another team received information that the accused had met with an accident and was receiving treatment at Masina Hospital.”

According to the police, Harijan had tried to commit suicide after killing Sandhya but had survived with a leg fracture. “We have not yet ruled out that Sandhya might have been raped before her murder, but we are waiting for her autopsy report which will give us a clear picture,” said Kurhade.