Navi Mumbai: Watchman kills housekeeping staff over their love affair

A 40-year-old watchman was arrested by the crime branch's central unit for allegedly killing a 33-year-old maid and dumping her body in a creek in Koparkhairane. According to authorities, they were having a love affair and the deceased was pressuring him to marry her.

Rajkumar Baburam Pal, a resident of Sector 29 in Vashi and a native of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, was identified as the accused.

On the evening of February 12, Koparkhairane police discovered a woman’s body in a creek under its jurisdiction. According to the preliminary investigation, she was killed with a dupatta and her body was later dumped. On February 13, the Koparkhairane police registered a murder case under sections 302 and 201 of the IPC and started an investigation.

Meanwhile, the central unit conducted a simultaneous investigation and reviewed missing persons cases in Navi Mumbai, Thane, Mumbai, and other parts of the state. Finally, the Trombe police station discovered a missing person's report. The missing woman's husband recognised the body as his wife. Sayda Banu Hasmi, 33, a native of Mankhurd, was working as a maid in a society in Jui Nagar.

The police checked the woman's phone history and locked down on a number that received repeated calls. Finally, based on technological analysis, the police arrested Pal.  “Pal was a watchman at the same society where the deceased woman was in the housekeeping. They were having an affair and the deceased was pressuring him to marry her,” said Amit Kale DCP (Crime). He added that Pal refused to marry saying he was already married and his family including two children reside in his hometown.

However, the woman continued to put pressure and they had an argument on the evening of the incident. “They had gone Koparkhairane for work where Pal killed her using her dupatta and dumped the body in the creek,” said DCP Kale.