A 79-year-old woman was found murdered in her house at Milind Nagar in Matunga on Tuesday evening. The Shahunagar police said Vasanta Laxminarayan was strangled to death with a dupatta. They suspect robbery to be the motive behind the crime, as her ornaments are missing from the house.

The police said the incident took place between 2pm to 5pm, when her neighbours were asleep. Acting on the complaint filed by Pramod Prabhakaran, 39, one of her grandsons who lives in Palghar, the police file a case under sections 302 (murder), 397 (robbery or dacoity) and 449 (house trespass) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“Laxminarayan had been living alone for the past few years. But her daughter, who lives in Navi Mumbai, would visit her frequently. Also, her relatives reside in the adjacent building and would come to meet her often. The murder came to light in the evening after one of the neighbours went to meet her,” said a police officer.

Another officer said Laxminarayan’s other grandson lives in America and is the nominee for her bank locker.

“We’ll come to know the amount of jewellery she had kept at home once her grandson comes from the US. We believe the accused knew her routine and the surroundings. Teams have been formed to arrest the killer[s],” the officer said.

First Published: Mar 22, 2019 00:00 IST