Mumbai: Two accused were picked up late on Thursday night from Nagpur in connection with the murder of the Makhijani couple in their Khar residence. The accused were brought to Mumbai and placed under arrest on Friday afternoon.
The victims, Nanak Makhijani (86) and his wife Daya (84), were found dead in their first floor apartment in Ekta Elite Society in Khar. The couple lived by themselves and had employed a part-time maid, a cook, a driver and a full-time maid. They were found murdered on Thursday morning, and the full-time maid, Parvati Khaka (20), had been missing since then.
According to Khar police, Ms. Khaka, along with her boyfriend Singhasan Eka (26), was intercepted on an Odisha-bound train at Nagpur railway station on Thursday night. The police said they got her description from the other domestic help employed by the Makhijanis.
“We shared the description with the Railway Police in several cities and sought their help in apprehending the accused. On Thursday night, both the accused were taken into custody by the Railway Police in Nagpur, after which we were informed,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VII) Anil Kumbhare, who is holding temporary charge of Zone IX, said.
A team of personnel with Khar police went to Nagpur and brought both the accused to Mumbai. The police said that Ms. Khaka, who had been employed by the Makhijanis since June 11, waited till the other domestic help had left on Wednesday night and then let Mr. Eka into the house at around 2 a.m. on Thursday. The duo tied the Makhijanis’ hands and legs to their bed and strangled them to death using a piece of cloth, after which they proceeded to rob valuables from two cupboards in the bedroom.
“The accused then fled the scene and boarded the Geetanjali Express to Odisha at around 6.30 a.m. on Thursday from Dadar railway station. After they were intercepted, they confessed to the crime. We also recovered cash and jewellery worth ₹10 lakh from their possession,” Mr. Kumbhare said.
He said the absence of CCTV cameras in the building and the fact that Parvati’s details were not shared with the Khar police station proved to be a challenge for the investigations. “We urge all residential societies in Mumbai to install CCTV cameras on their premises. Background checks and registration of domestic helps’ details with the police staiton are also extremely important,” Mr. Kumbhare said.
