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A 27-year-old man has been apprehended by the Bandra Police for the murder of a woman, 64, Rekha in her Bandra Reclamation apartment. The suspect, Sharif Ali Shamsher Ali Shaikh, was known to the victim as he regularly assisted her with daily tasks. The police suspect robbery as the primary motive, with gold jewellery worth ₹15 lakh reported missing from Khonde's residence, a report added.
Khonde’s body was discovered late on Monday night in a decomposed state, with her hands tied to a chair. She is believed to have been murdered approximately four days before the discovery and had injuries consistent with the use of a sharp object, according to an HT report.
Senior police inspector Sanjay Marathe said that Khonde's daughter, Drushti, had moved to Malad three months ago for work and visited her mother on weekends. He further told Hindustan Times that Khonde had been living with her daughter since the death of her husband in 2017. Shaikh, who resided in the same neighbourhood, helped Khonde with her chores, accompanied her to the bank, and assisted her with grocery shopping.
Residents in the building became suspicious after noticing a foul odour and alerted authorities. At first, the residents assumed it was a dead animal but eventually located the source of the smell which was coming from the second floor where the woman lived.
The police began investigating after registering a murder case and reviewed CCTV footage from the building and the surrounding area, the report added.
Footage showed Shaikh entering the building four days before the discovery of the body and leaving shortly after with a bag.
The police arrested Shaikh from the neighbourhood, and during interrogation, he confessed to the murder. He reportedly also admitted to stealing the victim's gold ornaments worth around Rs 15 lakhs. Police also suspect that he may have taken cash, which is currently under investigation. Some of the stolen jewellery has been recovered, but its value is yet to be determined.
A police officer informed the news outlet that they would be recording a statement from Jhonde’s daughter, who is currently in shock, to ascertain whether the jewellery was kept in a bank locker or at home. This, they said, would help them establish the total amount of cash stolen.
Meanwhile, the victim's body has been sent for a post-mortem to Bhabha Hospital to ascertain the exact cause of death and the nature of her injuries. Police are yet to recover the murder weapon.