Mumbai: The police on Thursday detained all the five people who were present at the time of events presenter Arpita Tiwari’s death on Monday.
Arpita, who stayed in Mira Road with her parents, was found dead on the AC duct of Manavsthal building in Malwani, where her friend stays on the 15th floor. Sources said Arpita’s boyfriend Pankaj Jadhav, and their common friend whose house they were in, are among the five.
On Wednesday, the police registered a case of murder against unknown persons, after preliminary investigations pointed towards foul play.
“We have been making inquiries with all the five and have found contradictions in their statements. The cook is emerging as a witness, and we are verifying the claims made by the suspects with him,” said senior police inspector Deepak Phatangre, Malwani police station.
Inquiries have revealed that Mr. Jadhav and Arpita were heavily drunk on Sunday night. All of them went to sleep after the party, but no one remembers seeing Arpita go to the washroom, from where she is suspected to have fallen or thrown in the early hours.
Arpita’s sister Shweta, meanwhile, has alleged that all the five are responsible for the death. “Arpita had no reason to kill herself and the fact that she was found partially undressed is suspicious. We suspected that she was sexually-assaulted before being thrown off the 15th floor, and that attempts are being made to make it look like a suicide,” Ms. Shweta said.
She also said that relations between Arpita and Mr. Jadhav were strained as he used to assault her and live off her earnings.
The police on Thursday conducted a crime scene recreation and are probing to find a motive behind the murder.
