78-yr-old found murdered; prime suspect held

Police claim to have arrested the prime suspect in the murder of a 78-year-old woman, Indu Udeshi, whose body was found in her plush Walkeshwar apartment.

Police claim to have arrested the prime suspect in the murder of a 78-year-old woman, Indu Udeshi, whose body was found in her plush Walkeshwar apartment. She was found strangulated on Saturday evening by her sister-in-law Jayaben Kapadia.

She is alleged to have been murdered by three men who visited the house on Thursday night. Police have arrested one of them, believed to be the prime suspect.

Senior Police Inspector Iqbal Shaikh said, 8220;Indu, who had no children, had been staying alone in the flat since 1984 after her husband passed away. A servant used to visit the house twice a day. On Friday night, when the servant knocked at the door, there was no response. So he went back.8221;

The servant went again on Saturday to find a stack of newspapers outside the door, suggesting the door had not been opened since Friday morning, said the police. 8220;Jayaben had reached the house as she got worried when Udeshi did not take her calls. Jayaben had a set of duplicate keys with her. On opening the door, the servant and Jayaben discovered the body. The handkerchief used to strangulate her was around her neck. Some jewellery, her wristwatch and a handbag containing Rs 31,500 is missing,8221; said Shaikh.

A case of robbery and murder was registered on Saturday.

Police zeroed in on three suspects after learning from the security guards that on Thursday night, three men had entered the house to meet Udeshi on some insurance-related work. 8220;As she worked as a part-time insurance agent, the guard informed her on intercom about the three visitors. Indu told the guard she knew them and asked him to allow them in. The three left the house after 40 minutes. The next day, when the servant arrived, no one opened the door. The three visitors were probably the last to see her alive,8221; said Shaikh.

After collecting information on their whereabouts, a police team on Sunday reached Khed, where they claim to have arrested one Sandeep Pawar 23. 8220;Sandeep was one of the three who visited Udeshi on Thursday night and was known to her as he had worked at the office of Udeshi8217;s relative. Once the team returns from Khed, we will interrogate him to trace the other two men,8221; added Shaikh.