Lustful cousin killed Nallasopara man's wife, abducted his son

A day after 27-year-old Devnath Ambala received a call informing him that his seven-year-old son had been kidnapped and reached home to find his wife lying dead, the police have arrested his 21-year-old cousin for the murder and have freed the child from his clutches. (Read the full story here)

Police officials at the Nallasopara residence of 27-year-old Ambala Devnath. The kidnappers have demanded Rs 1.5 lakh to free his 7-year-old son

mid-day had reported on the case yesterday (‘Man gets call saying his son has been kidnapped, goes home to find wife dead'). The police say the cousin had become infatuated with Devnath's wife, Gatki Singh Garodar (25), and had strangled her to death on Thursday after she refused his advances.

He then kidnapped the couple's son, Prakash (7) and used Gatki's phone to call Devnath asking for ransom to cover his tracks. Investigations have revealed that Ambala and Gatki had shifted to Mumbai, a month ago. Ambala opened an imitation jewellery shop in Nallasopara and his cousin, identified as Suresh Kumawat (21), used to visit it.

According to the police, Suresh had also visited Ambala's home, in the Sai Shraddha building in the area, and met his wife, Gatki. Suresh had visited Gatki thrice and after the 25-year-old spoke nicely to him, he mistook it for her being interested in him. On Thursday, Suresh went to the house when Ambala was at the shop.

He forced Gatki to get physical with him, but she refused. Suresh thought Gatki would tell everyone about the incident and so he killed her. To cover his tracks, he took Gatki's phone and abducted 7-year-old Prakash. He gave a call to Ambala from Gatki's number and asked for R1.5 lakh as ransom.

Nabbed
According to the police, Suresh planned to run away with the money to Rajasthan, to his ailing mother, and never come back. The police asked Ambala to continue the deal with the kidnapper and go wherever he asked him to with the money.

The police formed a team and followed Ambala. Suresh first called him to Borivli station, then to Dahisar station and then to a temple in Dahisar East. Ambala followed all the orders and he was finally told to leave the bag under a bus parked on the Western Express Highway.

Around 10 minutes later, Suresh went to retrieve the bag and was arrested by the police, who were keeping watch. "We arrested the accused from Dahisar and have charged him with murder and kidnapping. The child has been reunited with his father," said investigation officer Ravindra Badgujar from Nallasopara police station.