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A 24-year-old woman flight attendant staying in an apartment in Mumbai was brutally killed allegedly by a housekeeping staffer of the building who slit her throat using a nine-inch weapon, the police said on Monday. The accused man has been arrested.
The deceased, identified as Rupal Ogrey, hailed from Chhattisgarh and came to Mumbai in April this year for training with Air India, the official said.
She was found dead late Sunday night in a flat at N G Complex on Krishanlal Marwah Marg in the Marol area of suburban Andheri, he said.
The accused Vikram Athwal (40), who was doing housekeeping work over the last one year in the residential society, and the victim used to argue over petty issues, the official said when asked about the possible motive behind the crime.
As per the preliminary investigation, Athwal entered Ogrey's flat under the pretext of picking up a garbage bag and cleaning the commode, the official said.
"After gaining entry inside the flat, he locked the door and took out the 9-inch sharp weapon he was carrying with him. Ogrey tried to save herself but Athwal held her hair from the backside and slit her throat," he added.
The official said Athwal received a major injury besides some scratches on his hand as the woman tried to keep up resistance.
"After allegedly killing her, Athwal locked the flat and went to his house in Tunga village in Powai area. His wife grew suspicious as his clothes had blood stains but he gave her vague replies and started cleaning his clothes," the official said, adding that he was arrested from his house.
The police were investigating if the accused sexually assaulted the victim, the official said.
The murder came to light when the woman did not pick up calls from her family members. They rang up their local friends in Mumbai and asked them to go to her flat.
When the family's friends went to check on her, they found the flat locked and there was no response to the doorbell.
Later, they contacted the Powai police and with their help opened the flat using a duplicate key, the official said.
The woman was found lying with her throat slit. She was immediately rushed to civic-run Rajawadi Hospital where she was declared dead before admission, the police said.
Another officer said on condition of anonymity that the murder seemed to be pre-planned.
"As per the preliminary investigation, Athwal purchased the weapon three days back from a hardware shop in Marol area. The weapon is yet to be recovered," he added.
The accused is married with two daughters. The police are investigating whether he has a criminal background, the official said.
The police have registered a case of murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
"We have sent the body for post-mortem and are waiting for the medical report," he said.
During the probe, the police found the woman resided in the flat along with her sister and the latter's boyfriend, but the duo had left for their native place eight days back.