Crime branch to probe Sandhya Singh case

The Mumbai crime branch will now be probing the alleged murder of Sandhya Singh, 50, sister of musicians Jatin-Lalit and former actors Sulakshana and Vijeta Pandit. Rahul Mahajani reports.

The Mumbai crime branch will now be probing the alleged murder of Sandhya Singh, 50, sister of musicians Jatin-Lalit and former actors Sulakshana and Vijeta Pandit.

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Singh, a resident of NRI colony, Nerul, went missing on December 13, 2012, with jewellery worth Rs20 lakh.

Sources in the crime branch said the order was passed by the home ministry on Tuesday and the Mumbai police will soon be receiving the formal order. "Unit six of the Mumbai crime branch is likely to be heading the case," a source said.

Sources said the Mumbai crime branch was already conducting a parallel probe in the case. However, now it will be officially handed over to them from the Navi Mumbai police.

Lalit Pandit, Sandhya's brother, told HT on Tuesday that they had made request for the transfer of the case.

"We are hopeful that the Mumbai crime branch will be able to catch the real culprits," he said.

Sandhya's family was unhappy with the Navi Mumbai police, who were probing her son Raghuveer as a suspect.

The family met officials from the police and home ministry requesting them to transfer the case to the crime branch.