Sandals help cops nail Mumbai man who strangled FB friend with shoelace for refusing to have sex

In a fit of rage, Nirgude allegedly strangled More, a Vashi resident, with a shoe lace, said police.

Finding the sandals of the dead woman helped Nallasopara police nail the role of Haridas Nirgude, 21, in the alleged murder of his Facebook friend, said police on Monday.

Nirgude met Ankita More, 20, on Facebook a few months ago. (HT)

Nirgude met Ankita More, 20, on Facebook a few months ago. On Sunday, Nirgude called her to his ground-floor home in Taniya Monarch building in Alkapuri, as his sister and brother-in-law, with whom he stayed, had gone out. More told her parents that she was visiting a friend in Nallasopara. “On reaching Nirgude’s flat, the two had a brief chat. He wanted to have sex with her, but More refused,” said a police officer, who did not wish to be named.

In a fit of rage, Nirgude allegedly strangled More, a Vashi resident, with a shoe lace, said police. “Panicking after she fell unconscious, Nirgude went to a nearby medical store to fetch medicines,” said the officer.

Realising that More was dead, Nirgude dragged the body and dumped it near the staircase, the police said. The building has no CCTV cameras. “When neighbours gathered at the spot, Nirgude feigned ignorance about her identity. However, the footwear found outside Nirgude’s house made us suspicious,” Khairnar said.

The police started questioning him, as of the three ground floor flats in the building, two were occupied by senior citizens. They reasoned that a senior citizen would have found it hard to drag More’s body and dump it near the staircase.

The police also found More’s mobile phone and purse from Nirgude’s flat. “More may have refused to have sex with Nirgude because she had her periods, and he may have forced himself on her, which may have led to the bloodstains,” the police said.

Nirgude, who hails from Latur, worked as a salesman in a gift card gallery. He moved to the city in 2016.