Two days after a 28-year-old woman, Shweta Tandel, was found murdered in her Colaba house, the police arrested a friend of her brother-in-law, who stayed in the same building
Accused Hitesh Kartak Pandit
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Two days after a 28-year-old woman, Shweta Tandel, was found murdered in her Colaba house, the police arrested a friend of her brother-in-law, who stayed in the same building for the crime. The accused, Hitesh Kartak Pandit, wanted to have physical relations with her; when she objected to his advances, he killed her.
Shweta and her husband Mahendra resided on the first floor of a two-storeyed building in Colaba, while his brother Chetan and Pandit stayed on the second.
False stories
Pandit had told cops that while leaving for work on the day of the incident, he had spotted a pair of black leather shoes outside Shweta's flat. Thereafter, cops started inquiring about the unknown person who had visited Shweta.
The deceased Shweta Tandel
Though the police kept a close watch on all suspects, constable Pravin Bhalekar grew suspicious of Pandit's behaviour.
Rape attempt
"On the day of the incident, Pandit went to Shweta's house and started talking to her. When he tried to touch her, she objected to it. He forced himself on her, but she pushed him away. Angered, Pandit tried to strangle her. When she pushed him again, he took a fork and stabbed her neck repeatedly. Then, he took a knife and slit her throat," said Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, DCP (zone I).