Investigations against real estate agent Babu Patel (60), who was arrested for the murder of a 45-year-old woman on Wednesday, have revealed that the victim was an acquaintance of his live-in partner of 20 years.
The Shivaji Nagar police suspect that the motive behind the murder might be linked to the relationship between the deceased, the accused and his partner.
The deceased, identified only as Meena, was a commercial sex worker and was found dead inside a gunny sack stuffed into a plastic drum in Shivaji Nagar on May 11. The police arrested Mr. Patel for her murder on Wednesday.
Investigating officers said Mr. Patel was in a live-in relationship with one of Meena’s acquaintances, also a commercial sex worker, for over 20 years. “His partner was also present in his residence when he killed Meena. After the murder, she left for her native Jalgaon, while he disposed of the body. We suspect that whatever transpired between the three of them on May 11 has a crucial link to the murder,” an officer who is part of the investigation said.
The officer added that a police team reached Jalgaon on Thursday on Mr. Patel’s partner’s trail. However, her house was locked and no one seemed to have any idea about her whereabouts. The Shivaji Nagar police are now taking help from their Jalgaon counterparts to trace her, so that she can be questioned in connection with the offence.
“Mr Patel used to be married but divorced his wife. He has children from his marriage, but neither his ex-wife nor his children have had any contact with him since the divorce,” the officer said.
The police will begin inquiries with Mr. Patel’s neighbours in Nerul on Friday to find out if Meena was seen visiting his residence, and will also find out from the Nerul police if Mr. Patel has a criminal record.
The murder was solved with the help of the citywide CCTV camera network installed last year. The police, after finding the body, identified a tempo which dropped it off and traced its movements to Mr. Patel’s residence in Nerul.
