A 19-year-old woman and her boyfriend were arrested for the brutal killing of a driver in Ulwe, Navi Mumbai. The deceased, Surendra Asaram Pandey, 43, a cab driver originally from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, was found dead in a decomposed state inside his locked apartment on Saturday night.
The arrest of the accused—Riya Dinesh Sarkalyansingh (19) and her boyfriend Vishal Sanjay Shinde (21)—was made by Sangamner Police, following their voluntary surrender. The duo confessed to murdering Pandey after a dispute over alleged sexual advances made by him.
According to police reports, Pandey had been living alone in Kriyansh Residency, Sector-24, Ulwe, and drove a cab for a living. He had met Riya, a native of Punjab, around a month ago and had offered her shelter at his home, promising to help her find a job.
A few days ago, Riya invited her boyfriend, Vishal from Sangamner, to stay with her at Pandey’s residence. On April 2, an altercation reportedly broke out between Pandey and the couple, during which they attacked him with a hammer, leading to his death. The accused then wrapped the body in a bedsheet, locked the house from the outside, and fled with Pandey’s car.
Their escape was cut short after their car met with an accident near Pune. Escaping unhurt, they reached Vishal’s home in Sangamner and informed his family about the crime. On being advised to surrender, the couple approached the Sangamner police station and confessed.
Based on their confession, Sangamner police alerted their counterparts in Ulwe. Ulwe police rushed to the apartment and discovered Pandey’s decomposed body inside. The accused have been taken into custody and further investigations are underway.