Nalasopara shopkeeper held for killing woman customer, having sex with corpse

MUMBAI: A Nalasopara shopkeeper has been arrested for allegedly killing his woman customer and having sex with the corpse last week.
The 32-year-old woman who had left home to buy grocery stepped into a novelty shop to check out toys for her children on June 26. She never returned and her husband, a milk vendor, filed a missing complaint with Tuling police in Nalasopara (east).
On June 28, a body was found inside a pick-up van parked alongside the road at Chandan naka in Nalasopara (east). The body was identified as that of the victim. The foul smell helped discover the body.
The autopsy report confirmed death by strangulation and stated that sex was performed on the body.
The Vasai unit of the Palghar crime branch began investigation and checked closed circuit television images from the locality. The pick-up van owner claimed innocence and insisted that the vehicle was parked at the spot since several days. The van had temporary sheds that could be tampered with.
It emerged that the woman had entered the novelty shop on June 26. She got into an argument with the shopkeeper over the price of some toys she intended buying.
The shopkeeper dragged the woman by her hair, took her to a room behind the shop. As she was screaming, he strangulated her and then slit her neck. He then had sex with the corpse.
He stayed with the body till night, wrapped it in plastic and dumped it in the parked pick-up van. The accused stayed alone in the room attached to the shop.
A case of murder has been registered against the accused.