Matunga murder: New video shows suspect outside rly station

A sniffer dog was taken to the crime scene to help the police determine where the alleged killer went after the murder

New CCTV footage has emerged in Monday’s murder of 77-year-old Matunga resident Manjulaben Vora. The video, from a CCTV camera near Matunga railway station, is from after the murder and shows the suspected killer walking with a slight limp in his right leg.

A police team outside Vora’s house. (HT File)

A sniffer dog was taken to the crime scene to help the police determine where the alleged killer went after the murder. After picking up the suspect’s scent from the intercom, the dog led cops to Matunga railway station, where he lost the scent trail. The police examined footage from various CCTVs around the station and spotted the suspect in one of them. They are now examining the rest of the footage to determine whether the suspect took a train.

A source said the dog lost the suspect’s scent trail 120 metres from the railway station.

“The killer did not leave behind a murder weapon or any other object, so we got his scent off the intercom. He may have boarded a vehicle from the spot where the dog lost his trail, or he may have walked to the station and taken a train,” said a police source.

The police will also examine footage from numerous CCTVs installed in the bylanes of Matunga. They will use facial recognition software to enhance the footage and get a better look at the suspect’s face.

Vora’s family doctor, whom she had called on Monday, bumped into the suspect outside her home minutes after she was murdered. He asked the man, believed to be in his 30s, where Vora was and was told she was in her flat.

When the doctor went inside, the suspect fled the building. The police knew that the suspect had used the intercom as the building’s watchman had called it on the doctor’s behalf – to check if anyone was home – just minutes earlier.

A police officer privy to the investigation said, “If a person sees you so soon after you have committed a crime, you will try to run. However, the suspect, who is wearing a cap and carrying a handbag, can be seen walking quite calmly, with a slight limp.”

Also on Wednesday, a team of policemen travelled to Rajasthan to question a former cook who used to work for Vora.

Meanwhile, residents of the building have decided to beef up security.

“We have deployed two new watchmen and have started maintaining a diary to note down details of all visitors. We will also install more CCTV cameras and are consulting security agencies for this,” said a resident, who did not wish to be named.