The police on Monday filed a charge sheet against the two accused in the Kirti Vyas murder case, four months after the Grant Road resident went missing, and two months after the Mumbai Police Crime Branch arrested two of her colleagues for allegedly killing her.
Vyas (28), an employee of the Bblunt salon, went missing on March 16 this year. Her family first registered a complaint with the DB Marg police, and the case was transferred to the Crime Branch Unit II. On May 4, the Crime Branch arrested her colleagues Siddesh Tamhankar and Khushi Sahjwani in connection with the murder.
“We have filed a 962-page charge sheet before the Esplanade Court on Monday. It contains the DNA report of the blood found in the boot of Ms. Sahjwani's car, as well as other evidence gathered over the course of investigation,” a senior Crime Branch officer said.
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Officers said the DNA report, which certifies the blood samples as belonging to a female offspring of Vyas’ parents, will be a crucial piece of evidence in the case. It is supported by statements recorded from her parents, friends and colleagues, as well as reports of call detail records of both the accused, tracking their movements from Grant Road, from where they picked up Vyas under the pretext of dropping her to work, till Mahul creek, where they are alleged to have disposed of her mortal remains.
“The motive, according to investigations so far, is the notice Kirti had issued to Mr. Tamhankar, asking him to improve his performance by March 16, failing which action would be taken against him. March 16 is also the day Kirti was murdered, and she, in her capacity as Mr. Tamhankar's superior, was empowered to sack him if his performance did not improve. Mr. Tamhankar has claimed in his interrogation that he tried to reason with Kirti but ended up killing her when he realised that she was not going to change her mind,” according to an officer who is part of the investigation team.
The charge sheet indicts Mr. Tamhankar and Ms. Sahjwani for murder and destruction of evidence. The police, however, is yet to find Vyas’ mortal remains, despite several weeks of searching.
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