The Mumbai Crime Branch in July 2018 filed a 962-page charge sheet in the Kirti Vyas murder case against two the arrested accused , Siddhesh Tamhankar and Khushi Sajwani, Vyas's colleagues at BBlunt who allegedly murdered her in March. Officers said they had booked the duo under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), 363 (punishment for kidnapping), 364 (whoever kidnaps or abducts any person in order that such person may be murdered or may be so disposed), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC

A young girl, Kirti Vyas working at actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar's ex-wife Adhuna Bhabani's saloon went missing on March 16, 2018. Kirti Vyas left home in the morning and never reached her workplace. Frantic with worry, the family and even Farhan Akhtar made every effort to locate the missing girl at the time

On March 16, Kirti Vyas's mother had tried contacting her at 11.30 am, to ask her for the WiFi password, but her phone was switched off. Assuming she was busy at work, she didn't try reaching her again. The family lodged a missing person complaint at DB Marg police station the following day

Mumbai police investigating the case suspected that Kirti Vyas was murdered over professional differences and arrested two colleagues, Siddhesh Tamhankar, 28, and 42-year-old Khushi Sahjwani. According to the police, Kirti Vyas had pulled up Siddhesh Tamhankar, who worked as account executive at BBlunt Andheri, over work performance. Vyas, the finance manager of the same branch had slapped him a notice, and asked him to improve his performance or quit by March 16. At the time, the cops suspected that Tamhankar took the extreme step to avoid being sacked

Siddhesh Tamhankar and Khushi Sahjwani were questioned by the police and crime branch, as they were last seen with Kirti Vyas near her Grant Road residence. They, however, managed to divert the police's attention. Sahjwani kept sharing Facebook posts on the Let's Help Find Kirti Vyas page as alibi

Siddhesh Tamhankar and Khushi Sahjwani were questioned by the police and crime branch, as they were last seen with Kirti Vyas near her Grant Road residence. They, however, managed to divert the police's attention. Sahjwani kept sharing Facebook posts on the Let's Help Find Kirti Vyas page as alibi

Siddhesh Tamhankar was present with the family and friends, at DB Marg police, when the missing persons complaint was filed. 'He went around with the team of policemen, claiming he wanted to help them. All this while, he didn't even tell the cops that he and Sahjwani had met Vyas at the gate of her building complex,' added an officer. After the police started gathering CCTV footage, the duo realised that they could land in trouble. 'Sahjwani then told the cops that she had gone to Marine Drive with Tamhankar that morning and planned to pick up Vyas on the way. Vyas, however, asked them to drop her near Navjivan Society, so that she could take a train from Grant Road station,' the officer said

After throwing several red-herrings to divert the police's attention, Kirti Vyas's co-workers Siddhesh Tamhankar and Khushi Sahjwani at BBlunt, were arrested for allegedly murdering her on March 16. As per a Crime Branch source, Sahjwani, 43, who also works as academy manager in the salon, was having an extra-marital affair with Tamhankar, and helped him plot the murder. When the cops asked them why they had kept them in the dark, Sahjwani said that as she was married, she didn't want anyone to know about their relationship

Sources from the crime branch said, Siddhesh Tamhankar was very close to Khushi Sahjwani, and did not want to lose this job. However, his performance was not up to the mark and Vyas had put him on notice for it, which led to a heated argument between the trio. On March 16, the day when Tamhankar's future in the organisation was to be decided, he and Sahjwani picked up Vyas from a place near her home in an attempt to convince her not to fire Tamhankar. He even promised her that he would improve his performance. However, both of them got a negative response from Vyas. Allegedly, Tamhankar then took a piece of cloth and strangled Kirti Vyas. When she stopped moving after a few minutes, the duo were in shock and realised what they hadd done

When the police scanned the CCTV camera footage from the area, they found that Vyas did climb into the car at around 9.09 am, but never alighted. Based on the call detail records, Vyas's phone location was last traced to Jijamata Nagar in Worli. Meanwhile, the CDRs of both the accused revealed that they were in Bharat Nagar, Grant Road, around 8.51 am on March 16. They reached Senapati Bapat Marg in Lower Parel at 10.30 pm, and headed for Santacruz, where Sahjwani resides, before heading for their workplace in Andheri. The duo stayed in the office till 6.30 pm, after which they went to Sahjwani's home, from where they went to Mahul Port Trust in Wadala. They were in Wadala between 8.50 pm and 9.40 pm, said the police source

Right from the way salon executive Kirti Vyas was murdered to how her body was disposed, all aspects of this case matched with that of Sheena Bora's, the Mumbai Crime Branch, investigating the murder of BBlunt's finance manager, has observed. Officers said that just like Indrani Mukerjea strangulated Bora in a car, Siddhesh Tamhankar and his colleague Khushi Sahjwani, too, murdered Vyas in a moving car. Crime branch sources learnt that the accused killed Vyas in broad daylight inside the car by putting up a sunshade on the windscreen to ensure no passer-by would be able to see inside, and because of the summer season, this didn't raise any suspicion either

Right from the way salon executive Kirti Vyas was murdered to how her body was disposed, all aspects of this case matched with that of Sheena Bora's, the Mumbai Crime Branch, investigating the murder of BBlunt's finance manager, has observed. Officers said that just like Indrani Mukerjea strangulated Bora in a car, Siddhesh Tamhankar and his colleague Khushi Sahjwani, too, murdered Vyas in a moving car. Crime branch sources learnt that the accused killed Vyas in broad daylight inside the car by putting up a sunshade on the windscreen to ensure no passer-by would be able to see inside, and because of the summer season, this didn't raise any suspicion either

Aside from the murder being committed inside a car, another similarity with the Sheena Bora murder case was that the body was kept inside the vehicle for a long time, till Sahjwani and Tamhankar decided where to dispose of it. Sources said that after the killing, Sahjwani had parked her car, with Vyas's body inside, in the parking area of the Santacruz high-rise she stayed. The body was in the car for more than seven hours. After parking the car, the two had gone to the office and returned to Santacruz at around 6.30 pm, from where they took the car to Mahul Port Trust area to dispose of the body

Aside from the murder being committed inside a car, another similarity with the Sheena Bora murder case was that the body was kept inside the vehicle for a long time, till Sahjwani and Tamhankar decided where to dispose of it. Sources said that after the killing, Sahjwani had parked her car, with Vyas's body inside, in the parking area of the Santacruz high-rise she stayed. The body was in the car for more than seven hours. After parking the car, the two had gone to the office and returned to Santacruz at around 6.30 pm, from where they took the car to Mahul Port Trust area to dispose of the body

Heeding the advice of fishermen from Mahul village, who have been helping the crime branch in the search operation for Kirti Vyas' body, officers have brought in technology - drones. Investigators, who suspected the body may be caught amid mangroves in the area, said they were unable to enter the thicket during a high tide and hence decided to use drones to be able to see deep inside the shrubs. Police sources said the nullah in Mahul Port Trust area, where the accused are said to have dumped her body, is covered with mangroves, which is home to foxes. A local fisherman said, 'In the village, whenever a dead boy is buried, foxes come and dig up the spot. If they find the body, they drag it away with them.' The cops are afraid of that having happened in Kirti Vyas' case

Devastated, Kirti Vyas's sister Shefali Vyas had no heart to tell her mother that Kirti was murdered by her own colleagues. 'My mother was positive that Kirti would return safely one day. What do I tell her now? When my mother suggested a vacation because Kirti was such a workaholic, she had agreed. We were supposed to leave for Coorg and Mangalore on March 17. But, she never returned home,' Shefali had said back then in March

Siddhesh Tamhankar's father, Shantaram Tamhankar, said, 'The police say the motive behind the murder is that Kirti Vyas had issued him a notice for not working up to the mark, but he'd made no mention of it to us and seemed his usual self and happy.' 'We are a middle-class family, and his arrest has broken us. He ran from pillar to post to find Kirti...' said Suchitra, his sister

Siddhesh Tamhankar's father, Shantaram Tamhankar, said, 'The police say the motive behind the murder is that Kirti Vyas had issued him a notice for not working up to the mark, but he'd made no mention of it to us and seemed his usual self and happy.' 'We are a middle-class family, and his arrest has broken us. He ran from pillar to post to find Kirti...' said Suchitra, his sister

The other accused, Khushi Sahjwani, lived with her husband and teenaged son in a Santacruz West high-rise. A resident told mid-day that the family is nowhere to be seen, adding that her husband worked in the hotel industry, while her son had just passed SSC. Another said, 'Khushi's family was on cordial terms with everyone in the building. It was sad to find out Khushi had admitted to the crime. All of us are in shock,' said a woman staying in the Santacruz building

A person, who once worked at BBlunt said that Sahjwani was the face of the salon and academy as she headed the HR department. 'She would be the one who addressed your concerns. She was very sweet. I'm shocked.' Spoorthy Shetty, CEO, Bblunt, said

A person, who once worked at BBlunt said that Sahjwani was the face of the salon and academy as she headed the HR department. 'She would be the one who addressed your concerns. She was very sweet. I'm shocked.' Spoorthy Shetty, CEO, Bblunt, said