Mumbai: The Thane Rural Police Crime Branch on Sunday arrested a 25-year-old autorickshaw driver in connection with the murder of a 28-year-old man and the rape of his 26-year-old girlfriend near Titwala last week.
The accused, identified as Sanjay Naravade (25), had allegedly accosted the couple on the Ambernath Titwala Road and tried to rob them. When they resisted, the accused shot the mzan and then raped his girlfriend at gunpoint before making off with their valuables.
Police sources said earlier this year, the Shivaji Nagar police station in Thane had registered a robbery case where the victims, also a couple, had been robbed at gunpoint in a secluded spot in Ambernath. The police obtained details of the case and observed similarities in the modus operandi. The accused was believed to be from Ulhasnagar, and inquiries were initiated.
Simultaneously, police were also tracking the rape victim’s cell phone, which the accused had taken with him. It was traced to to Ulhasnagar. “Based on the cellular location of the phone, we launched a manhunt in Ulhasnagar and ultimately tracked the accused to a lodge, using the sketch that we had prepared based on the victim's description,” an officer with the Thane Rural Police Crime Branch said.
When the police searched the accused’s room, a search yielded a foreign-made revolver and three live rounds. He was taken to Kalyan Taluka police station. The officer said, “Inquiries established Mr. Naravade’s involvement in the crime, and he was subsequently placed under arrest. He has said during interrogation that he bought the pistol from a friend in Aurangabad for ₹25,000. We are tracking this friend and are also finding out if the accused has used the pistol for other illegal activities.”
Police have also recovered cell phones of both victims as well as the deceased’s bike keys from the accused. He has been charged with murder, rape and criminal intimidation under the IPC and the Arms Act.
