Woman found dead in Khar building: Mumbai Police to probe attempt to rape angle
To verify their suspicion, the police have sent the victim’s clothes for forensic analysis and are in the process of collecting other evidences from the murder spot. Two people have been arrested for murder, assault in the case
The Khar police, which is investigating the murder of 19-year-old Janhvi Kukreja who was found dead on New Year’s Eve in her friend’s building at Khar, suspect that there was a rape attempt on the victim, minutes before she was allegedly murdered.
“The position of the victim’s body suggested that she was brutally assaulted to death and might have been a victim of attempt to rape,” said an officer from Khar police station.
To verify their suspicion, the police have sent Kukreja’s clothes for forensic analysis and are in the process of collecting other evidences from the murder spot (second floor passage of the building) as well as the rooftop where the party was going on.
“We are waiting for the medical reports of the victim,” said Abhishek Trimukhe, deputy commissioner of police (zone 9). A detailed post-mortem report is also awaited.
According to the autopsy report, the victim was brutally assaulted around 2.30am and had injury marks on thighs and hips. The cause of death was stated as head injury.
Khar police had placed the victim’s alleged boyfriend Shree Jodhankar, 24, and a friend, 19-year-old Diya Padankar under arrest for murder and assault on Saturday. The police said the arrests were made based on circumstantial evidence and witnesses’ statements.
Trimukhe said they are probing the reason behind the murder. They have taken down the initial statements of the 12 people present at the party. But as all of them were in an inebriated state, they are yet to record the actual statements.
They also found alcohol bottles from the rooftop. The police officers also suspect that those who attended the party, including the accused, had also consumed drugs.
“We have taken blood samples of all the party attendees and have sent them for analysis,” added Trimukhe.
Jodhankar also sustained injury marks to the back of his head and is undergoing treatment at Cooper hospital. The police said, as per the initial inquiry, it appears that Jodhankar fell during the scuffle and sustained the injury.
In his statement, Jodhankar said he does not remember the incident and that he had left the building at 2.10am to meet a friend at Sion, said a crime branch source. He also told the police that Kukreja had fallen down the stairs at night during the party and was in hospital. He also said that he did not remember anything else and was unsure how he had reached Sion, said another crime branch source. Jodhankar’s bike was parked in the building throughout the night, said the source.
When his friend asked Jodhankar how he had sustained injuries on head, he said he had fallen down. He also said his friend had taken him to Sion hospital, where he received first aid, added the source.
Crime branch officers said those who were present at the spot revealed that Kukreja had left the rooftop of Bhagwati Heights building around 2.30am after a heated argument with her alleged boyfriend and the girl he was with. However, after allegedly killing her, Jodhankar and Padankar returned to the party, which led the others attending the party to think that Kukreja had gone home, said the police.
It was not until 6am that the murder was discovered. Officers at the crime scene said a woman from the building was walking her dog when she saw blood dripping from the staircase. Following this, the police was informed about the crime.
“Until then, the party was still on and the murder went unnoticed, as people used the elevators and not the stairs in the building,” said the officer.
The organiser of the party revealed that Jodhankar and Padankar had a fight with Kukreja before she left the rooftop.