Central unit of the crime branch has arrested a 21-year-old murder suspect six months after the incident. The accused, who had refrained from using a mobile phone, fled after committing the crime and remained on the move from one location to another.
The arrested accused has been identified as Pandav Gorakh Jadhav, alias Pandya, a resident of Panvel. According to the police, a murder case was registered at Panvel City police station on October 10, 2024, after the body of a woman was discovered. The woman was a resident of a nearby slum.
Despite investigations by the Panvel City police, no significant breakthrough was achieved. However, the central unit of the crime branch conducted a parallel investigation. The suspect was identified as he had been missing from the area since the woman's murder. "Due to the suspect's avoidance of mobile phone usage and lack of contact with anyone, tracing him was challenging," stated Ajay Landge, ACP (Crime). He further explained that on March 29, they received information indicating that the suspect was spotted near Orion Mall in Panvel.
A police team promptly moved to detain him. Following seven to eight hours of interrogation, he confessed to strangling the woman after a quarrel. "Approximately six months before the incident, both the suspect and the victim were involved in a relationship. On the night of the incident, both were intoxicated. A dispute arose, leading the suspect to strangle the woman in a fit of rage before fleeing," added Landge.