Sandwich vendor in constant touch with marble-cutter murder accused held in UP

MUMBAI: A sandwich vendor who had been on the run after the Lalbaug murder came to light on Wednesday has been detained from UP for alleged nexus with Rimple Jain, the accused. On Friday, the vendor and the arrested Rimple were brought face to face and questioned.
"The sandwich vendor, who was in constant touch with Rimple over Whatsapp, is still in the zone of suspicion and we have not given him a clean chit," said a senior police officer. The Kalachowkie police are probing whether he helped Rimple, who is accused of chopping the body of her mother Veena Jain, 55, into five pieces with a marble-cutter.
In another development, the two waiters of a Chinese eatery being questioned in the case told the police that they found Veena very seriously injured after possibly falling from the first-floor verandah near the common toilet of the chawl. They took her to her one-roomed flat on the first floor and told Rimple to inform her relatives about her likely death.
But Rimple did not after the December 27 incident, and over two and half months later, she was arrested on Wednesday after Veena's brother approached the police about his missing sister and a stench in the house. She had been telling everyone Veena had travelled to Kanpur. She is accused of murder and destruction of evidence.
Statements of all those people who were in touch with Rimple have been recorded and the vendor is still being questioned, said DCP (zone 4) Pravin Munde, who is monitoring the probe.
Rimple apparently lived with the body of her mother for two days before deciding to dismember it and hide in the house. She has told the police her mother fell down while going to the toilet around 4.30am and died of her injuries. She panicked and chopped the body fearing investigation. Neighbours have told the police mother and daughter used to have frequent fights.
"The two waiters have given a statement that after touching Veena's pulse, they told Rimple her mother has passed away and she should inform her relatives but she asked them to leave and said she would take care of it," said the official.