The body of a 19-year-old woman was discovered on Wednesday evening in the mangroves near a jetty off DPS Lake, adjacent to the NRI Seawoods Complex on Palm Beach Road in Nerul. Two days later, on Friday morning, police found the body of her boyfriend near the Ganeshpuri Jetty in Waghivali village. Police suspect that the woman, identified as Bhavika More, was strangled by her boyfriend, Swastik Patil, 21, a resident of Panvel Taluka. After allegedly killing her, Patil is believed to have taken his own life by jumping into the lake. Local fishermen reportedly saw him jump and attempted to save him, but the current swept him away.
According to the police, Patil’s body was spotted floating near Ganeshpuri Jetty early Friday morning. The woman's body was discovered on Wednesday evening when fishermen near DPS Lake noticed it and alerted the authorities. She was identified as a student from a college in Nerul and was in a relationship with Patil. The police believe the woman died due to strangulation, though the exact cause of death will be confirmed by the post-mortem report. CCTV footage from the area shows the couple heading towards the lake on a two-wheeler around 4 PM on Wednesday.
Before the investigation into the woman's death could be completed, Patil's body was also found, leading police to suspect a murder-suicide. Initial inquiries revealed that Swastik and Bhavika had been in a relationship for two years. They had a previous dispute, and the police believe there may have been another argument before they arrived at the DPS area.