24-year-old journalist told the police that she killed Nityanand Pandey as he had been refusing to end their relationship; had sedated him before strangling him
Ankita Mishra and Nityanand Pandey. Pics/Hanif Patel
The murder case of 44-year-old managing editor of the magazine 'India Unbound' Nityanand Pandey has been cracked by the Thane Rural Kashimira police, local crime branch and Bhiwandi police with the arrest of two accused, including a woman staffer.
The 24-year-old woman, who was working as a journalist with Pandey's magazine, apparently took the help of a friend, and after giving Pandey sleeping pills mixed in an energy drink, strangulated him in his car at Bhayandar West and later threw the body in a Bhiwandi nullah at night.
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Nityanand Pandey's body when it was found
Wanted to settle down
The accused have been identified as Ankita Mishra and Satish Mishra. They were arrested by the crime branch on Sunday following an interrogation. During inquiry, it was revealed that Ankita had been working for Pandey for the past three years. She had interviewed senior police officers, bureaucrats and politicians with Pandey. She told the cops that Pandey had forced her into a physical relationship, which she consented to. However, she later wanted to end the relationship as she was keen on getting married and settling down, but Pandey refused to let her go, said a police officer.
The spot from where the body was pushed into the nullah
She had met the other accused, Satish, a couple of months ago at a Mira Road gym and they slowly became friends. She told Satish about her problems and they decided to killed Pandey. Satish, too, had some old scores to settle with Pandey, who used to print his magazine at Satish's printing press. Once, when Satish had asked Pandey for his outstanding Rs 3 lakh, the latter told him to send his (Satish's) wife to him first and only then would he settle the dues.
Satish Mishra
Strangled him in car
As per plan, Satish told Pandey that he wanted to show him a row house in Uttan. On the way, Ankita gave Pandey the energy drink mixed with sleeping pills. Once he fell asleep, the two strangulated him with a nylon rope.
They wanted to dump the body at Uttan, but as there was a crowd there, they took the body to Bhiwanidi and threw it into a nullah, the police officer said. While Pandey's family filed a missing person complaint at Kashimira police station, the police sent his images to various police stations in Thane rural and Mumbai. On March 17, the Bhiwandi police found the body and eventually found out that it was Pandey's.
"We began questioning Ankita as she was the last person to be seen with him and she broke down and confessed to the crime," said SP Shivaji Rathod Thane rural, adding, "We also brought Satish Mishra in for questioning and he, too, confessed."
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