Borivli murder solved, police arrest painter

Thirty-year-old Bhavana Kaushik Vakil’s throat was slit at around 1 pm and she was dumped in the bathroom. Vakil managed to crawl out and alert her neighbours, who, on seeing the gruesome sight of a bleeding Bhavana, rushed her to the Bhagwati hospital and informed the police.

Vakil succumbed to her injuries at 3.30 pm in the afternoon. At the time of the incident, Vakil was alone in her sixth floor flat at Shripal Nagar, busy with preparations for her mother-in-law’s 60th birthday. Husband Kaushik Vakil was out at work. Reportedly, the society watchman was out for lunch while a second guard was on some errand.

One of the Vakil’sneighbours provided the crucial clue on revealing that she had visited Vakil at around 1 pm and seen a man in her flat. When she inquired about the man, Vakil said it is her painter. The police launched off on that clue.

The break came with the discovery of a card in the house that belonged to a painting contractor, G C Shukla, at Charkop, Kandivali. The police grilled Shukla and found that he had three painters in his employ — Pappu, Virendra and Santosh Pandurang Divate. Finding that Divate was fidgeting, the police interrogated him thoroughly. He subsequently admitted to having killed Bhavana Vakil.

On further interrogation, Divate revealed having worked at the Vakil household earlier during Diwali. Bhavana had taken a liking to his work then and promised him monetary help pitying him for having lost his son at the time. Since then, Divate had been badgering her for a loan of Rs 5,000 and she kept pushing it off.

On Friday afternoon, when he approached Bhavana, she got very agitated and threatenedhim saying she would call the police. At this an infuriated Divate attacked her. Divate slit her throat and after stabbing her several times snatched her mangalsutra and gold chain. He also opened her purse and removed Rs 922 and two gold bangles before dragging the victim to the bathroom and fleeing the place.