The Samta Nagar police on Sunday arrested a 25-year-old accused for allegedly sexually assaulting and murdering a 14-year-old girl last month. The police said the clinching breakthrough in an investigation that spanned over a month-and-a-half came when they found an alternate mobile number that the accused was using.
Accused knew victim
According to the police, the victim and the accused, identified as Ajay Banvanshi, were known to each other. The victim went missing on October 1 and her family filed a case of kidnapping against unknown persons at Samta Nagar police station the next day. The victim’s body was found stuffed in a duffel bag on October 3 in Talasari in Palghar district. The police then registered a case of murder and sexual assault based on the post-mortem report.
During the course of the investigation, the police zeroed in on Mr. Banvanshi based on the victim’s call detail record (CDR), as he was the last person to speak to her. Senior police inspector Raju Kasbe said, “Over the past one month, we questioned Mr. Banvanshi repeatedly but were unable to pinpoint his involvement in the crime. He did not display any signs of a suspect such as not turning up for inquiries, switching off his cell phone or leaving the city.”
The turning point in the investigation came on November 16, when the police officers who were tracking the victim’s CDR found a second cell phone number. Through technical analysis, they confirmed that it belonged to Mr. Banvanshi. A study of the number’s cellular locations during the time that the offence was committed showed that it was in Talasari on the day the body was found dumped there.
Mr. Banvanshi was once again picked up for inquiries and when confronted with the fresh evidence, he allegedly broke down and confessed to the crime. Mr. Kasbe said, “On October 1, Mr. Banvanshi invited the victim to his residence at 2.30 p.m. and started making sexual overtures to her. When she resisted, he hit her on the head with a metal bottle and strangled her to death. He then disposed of the body in Talasari.”
Remanded in custody
‘Mr. Banvanshi was placed under arrest and charged with murder and causing disappearance of evidence under the Indian Penal Code. He was also charged with sexual assault and harassment under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. He was produced in court and remanded in police custody till November 25, the officers said.
