Thane: 35-year-old sex worker murdered in Bhiwandi

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A 35-year-old sex worker was allegedly murdered by some unidentified person at Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI.

The incident occurred around 11.30 pm on Tuesday, inspector Vijay Kadam of Bhiwandi Town police station said, reported PTI.

The victim, who is yet to be identified, had shifted from Pune to Hanuman Tekdi locality, the red light area of Bhiwandi, and was sharing her room with another sex worker, he said, reported PTI.

An unidentified accused attacked the woman with a grinding stone, in which she was killed on the spot, the official said, adding that the motive behind the murder is yet to be known, reported PTI.

In another case, the Mumbai police have cracked the murder case of a woman, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase in Mumbai's Kurla area two days back, with the arrest of her live-in partner, an official said on Tuesday, reported PTI.

The accused Askar Manoj Barla (22) was arrested on Monday for allegedly strangulating Pratima Pawal Kispatta (25) on Saturday evening on the suspicion of having an affair with another person, he said, reported PTI.

The duo hailed from Odisha and got acquainted while returning to their state from Mumbai during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. They were currently living in Dharavi area of Mumbai, he said, reported PTI.

"The Mumbai police have cracked the murder case of the woman whose body was found stuffed in the suitcase at Kurla. Barla was arrested by a team of the crime branch comprising Units 5 and 11 when he was about to escape to his hometown in Odisha," the official said, reported PTI.

Barla was nabbed by the officials of Unit-11 of the crime branch from Thane railway station within 36 hours of registration of the offence of murder, he said, reported PTI.

"Pratima's body stuffed in a suitcase was found on Sunday morning on CST Road bridge at Chembur-Santacruz Road at Kurla West, where Metro project work was going on," he added, reported PTI.

Barla and Kispatta hailed from Odisha and were staying in nearby villages. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they happened to meet each other while travelling on a bus to Odisha and fell in love. After returning to Mumbai, both of them started living together in Dharavi, he said, reported PTI.

While Barla worked in a sweet mart, Pratima worked as a maid. However, since the last couple of months she was at home, he said, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)