Woman’s murder: Robbery charges added against domestic help

Days after Malabar Hill police arrested a 19-year-old house help for allegedly strangling a 67-year-old woman to death inside her upscale Nepean Sea Road apartment, the investigators on Tuesday informed the court that they have added sections of robbery in the case. Earlier, the police had booked the accused only under the section for murder.

The police said the accused, identified as Kanhaiya Kumar Sanjay Pandit, was recruited by the family on March 11 and after noticing the working of the house for a day, he went to the bedroom of Jyoti Shah. But as the woman woke up, the accused alleged that he strangled her with his hands during the confrontation after which he got scared due to which he escaped with her bangles.

In a bid to escape, the accused had then taken a train to his native place in Bihar and was caught from Bhusawal railway station in Jalgaon.

The investigators told the court that they are yet to recover the bangles from Pandit.

“In his confession, he claimed that he gave the bangles away to a passenger in the train. We have sent a team to Bihar to locate the receiver and recover the stolen valuables,” said an officer.

The police also said that sections 392 (punishment for robbery) and 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code were added in the case. Pandit has been remanded in police custody till March 22.