Sister-in-law had called help thrice on day of murder: Police

After killing 62-year-old Grant Road resident, Ila Gandhi, and injuring her 87-year-old mother on Sunday night, Ramchandra Gomane roamed at Girgaum Chowpatty with his friends for six hours, the police alleged.

After killing 62-year-old Grant Road resident, Ila Gandhi, and injuring her 87-year-old mother on Sunday night, Ramchandra Gomane roamed at Girgaum Chowpatty with his friends for six hours, the police alleged.

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“Gomane’s employer, Rupal, had assured him that he would not get into trouble so he went to meet his friends,” said Anil Kumbhare, deputy commissioner of police (zone II).

On checking 23-year-old Gomane’s mobile phone call records, the police also found that Rupal, 44, who had reportedly paid him to kill her sister-in-law Ila and mother-in-law Champaben, had called him up three times on the day of the murder.

“Rupal made the first call to Gomane at 11am to instruct him that the plan was finalised and that he was supposed to carry out the murder that day,” said an officer of the Gamdevi police station on condition of anonymity.

“The second call was made in the afternoon when she was supposed to leave for a function. She told him she would return late in the night. The third call was made at night to confirm that he had carried out the act.”

“However, when we checked the number of calls made by her to Gomane on other days, we realised that she was lying because apart from the day of the murder, she never made so many calls to him on a single day,” the officer added.