Even as the accused tried to throw everyone off by pretending to help, cops narrate how everything her four friends found fishy helped them crack the case
Supriya Shinde, the deceased
It was the four close friends of the victim, Supriya Shinde, who helped find her body and even catch her killer, Vishal Ghavat, said police. The women, the deceased’s neighbours at Om Residency in Dombivli East, noticed that a lot was amiss at her home on the fateful day, particularly the positioning of the sofa-cum-bed in which the body was hidden.
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Supriya’s body was found in the sofa-cum-bed in her house at Om Residency, Shiv Shakti Nagar in Dawdi village, Dombivli East, on Tuesday night. The family of three, husband Kishor Shinde and their son, had moved there four years ago and became friends with many residents who hailed from his hometown in Satara district. This friendship played a crucial role in solving Supriya’s murder.
Sofa wasn’t in its place
One of them spoke to mid-day on condition of anonymity, and said, “When Supriya didn’t open the door or answer the phone calls, I opened the door with a spare key I had at 5.30 pm. No one was at home, but I felt something was amiss. The bed sheet was wrinkled and her hair clip was clamped to the curtain. Even their water drum was moved away from the regular spot.”
Manpada police personnel with the arrested accused Vishal Ghavat
She along with three other friends started looking for her. “We went to all the nearby clinics and hospitals thinking she could have gone to see a doctor as she was feeling ill. Her relatives who live nearby were also contacted but they hadn’t heard from her,” said another friend.
One of Supriya’s neighbours had spotted Ghavat’s slippers outside her home in the afternoon and asked him if had visited her. He told her that he was there for barely 5 minutes.
“While we were registering a missing complaint, a neighbour called Kishor to say the dead body had been found inside the sofa-cum-bed in their living room. One of her friends had felt that the sofa had been moved and was not closed properly,” said an officer from Manpada police station. “Once the body was found, the second clue came from the neighbour who informed us about the slippers and her conversation with Ghavat,” he added.
“During questioning, first Ghavat refused to accept that he entered the house. Then, he claimed to have gone there to give her books and had left immediately... The said book was found at Supriya’s home. But his versions were changing, hence we brought him to the police station,” the officer said.
“He couldn’t tell where he was for hours in the afternoon. Also, there was a fresh wound on his hand, indicating a bite mark, and he fumbled while explaining how he got it,” said Shekhar Bagde, senior inspector, Manpada police station. “As we grilled him further, he broke and confessed.”
‘We sat on the sofa for 2 hrs’
One of Supriya’s friends told mid-day, “We had gone to her flat after hearing that she was missing, and sat on that sofa for two hours, unaware that her body was stuffed inside. I have not slept for the past three nights. I am very scared.”
Another friend said, “She was soft spoken and friendly, if such a thing could happen to her, then anything can happen to other housewives, too.”
The story behind murder
Ghavat lives in the same locality, and Supriya used to visit his building to meet a friend. Although she had seen him, she never spoke to him. Kishor had brought him home a couple of times for tea.
Police said that Ghavat thought Supriya’s friendly nature was indicative of some kind of a relationship and started making efforts to get close to her. He knew Kishor went to Mumbai city for work and didn’t return until night.
Ghavat had found out that the couple idolised Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and liked to read about him, so he got some books and visited their residence around 11.30 am on Monday, but his son was there. “Ghavat learnt that her son goes to school at 12.30 pm, so he returned on Tuesday, February 15, at 1.30 pm with the books. She invited Ghavat in, asked him to sit and turned around to keep the books when he forced himself on her,” said Assistant Police Inspector Avinash Vanve.
“Supriya resisted with all her might and before she could scream for help, Ghavat covered her mouth with his hand. She bit him, but he didn’t give up. He smashed her head on the floor, and as she was semi-conscious, he tied her neck with two plastic ties, killing her,” Vanve added.
Ghavat first moved around the plastic water drum to dump her body, but finally stuffed it inside the sofa-cum-bed. He then cleaned the blood and fled with her mobile phone.
Feb 15
Day Supriya Shinde was murdered
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