06 January,2021 09:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan Khan
The parents of the victim met the police chief on Tuesday. Pics/Suresh Karkera
Accused Diya Padalkar, arrested in the murder of her friend at a New Year's Eve party, has finally started to spill the beans. She has told the Khar cops, who have taken blood and urine samples of all guests at the party, that the other accused, Shree Jogdhankar, had smoked marijuana before coming. Cops claim to have figured out the chain of events.
The victim's parents at the Mumbai police headquarters to meet the CP
A senior police officer said, "We will wait for the forensic reports to find out whether drugs were used at the party. However, accused Diya said that Shree used to take marijuana and he had smoked up before coming to the party." However, the officer said that they hadn't found any traces of drugs at the venue after the body was recovered from the ground floor.
According to the police, Shree was not invited to the party. He went there along with the victim and Diya at 12:05 am. Some witnesses have told the police that around 12:20 am the victim and Shree started to get intimate. Later, when Shree got intimate with Diya as well, the victim felt bad and she spoke to a friend about it over the phone. Later, the accused duo went to the fifth floor by the stairs.
The officer said, "We have also found out that when the victim saw both of them going near the stairs she followed them to the fifth floor. When she spotted them in a compromising position, a fight broke out between the trio. During questioning Diya said that when the victim pushed her, she lost balance and her face hit the railing. Her upper lip got injured and she started bleeding. She also added that Shree and the victim started hitting each other following which she went to the party organiser's house on the second floor to clean her face."
"As of now we are not relying on Diya's statement as she has not told us why she did not inform the other guests about the fight between Shree and the victim," the officer added. The cops are still waiting to interrogate Shree, who is undergoing treatment for a rib fracture and head injury.
"If we go by Diya's statement, then there was a massive fight between the victim and Shree, who might have fallen down and injured himself. Most likely he then banged the victim's head on the railings due to which she died and later dragged her body to the ground floor," the officer said.
The police have also confirmed that they have recorded the statement of a third floor resident of Bhagwanti Heights. She was the first to spot the 19-year-old's body lying in a pool of blood on the ground floor and inform Yash Ahuja, the organiser of the party. The officer said, "On getting to know about it, Yash tried calling an ambulance and even informed the police."
Meanwhile, the victim's parents along with social activist Asif Bhamla met Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh seeking speedy justice and the harshest punishment for those involved in their daughter's murder. "We met the CP and now we have full faith in the Mumbai police that they will ensure justice for our daughter," said the victim's mother. She added, "I don't know about the love triangle that is being reported in the media but I knew my daughter better than anyone else. My only point is that a murder is not justified. The police should set an example otherwise parents will be scared to allow their children to go out with friends." When asked about the probe, CP Singh said, "The investigation is on the right track."
