Mumbai Crime: 21-year-old kills girlfriend, jumps in front of train later

Cops at the crime scene; (inset) Abhishek Shah. Pics/Hanif Patel

Arnala police on Wednesday booked a 21-year-old for killing a minor girl and later killing himself by jumping before a running local train between Borivli and Kandivli.

According to police, a minor girl was found dead inside an ‘illegal lodge' in the Arnala area of Virar West. The deceased had come to the lodge with her boyfriend, Abhishek Shah, 21.

Raju Mane, the senior inspector of Arnala police station, told mid-day that the killer first smothered the girl with a pillow on the first floor of the lodge and later used his handkerchief and vest, made it like a rope to strangle her and fled from the spot.

He later jumped before a running local train between Borivli and Kandivli.

All these happened within 1.5 hours, said police. Both were students and had been going around for the past few months. A case of murder has been registered against Shah.

"The couple entered the lodge at around 2.30 pm on Wednesday. We have learnt that Shah was in possession of the girl's nude photograph and he had been blackmailing her to give him Rs 15,000. The cause of the fight could not be ascertained but after studying the crime scene, we learnt that the duo must have had a heated argument over some issues, after which the man got furious," said Mane. They both lived in the same neighbourhood in Nalasopara and regularly visited the lodge, said the source.

After killing his girl, Shah walked out of the lodge around 3.45 pm and told the owner that he was going out to bring some snacks for them. "Shah told the lodge owner that he is coming back in 10 minutes. When he did not return, the lodge owner called Shah, who again told him that he is coming back soon. Later, Shah had switched off his cellphone," Mane added.

The lodge owner noticed something amiss and he went upstairs to check. "When he opened the door, the girl was found dead. He informed us and we reached the lodge immediately. Her body was found on the bed and blood was oozing out from her nasal cavity," Mane added.

The investigation

The cops scanned the belongings kept inside the room and learnt about their home address. One team was sent to their residence as the mobile phone of Shah was switched off. "We got his alternate mobile number from his parents and his location was traced in Borivli. During further investigation, we learnt that Shah had died by suicide, by jumping before a running local train between Borivali and Kandivli," zonal deputy commissioner of police Prashant Wagunde told mid-day.

The senior inspector of Borivli GRP, Anil Kadam said, "We have recovered the body of a boy near Poisar drain. He was later identified as Abhishek Shah. He was carrying a smartphone, through which he was identified. Later, his parents identified the body."