On 25th October, a 55-year-old Hindu woman, Sangeeta Namdev Mhatre, was strangled to death after she allegedly refused to pay back the loan she had taken from the accused, identified as 23-year-old Mohammad Sameer Allauddin Ansari. The incident occurred at Kudevahal village near Panvel in Raigad district, Maharashtra. Ansari was arrested soon after the investigation into the matter began.
Murder disguised as theft
According to the police, Ansari, who is a local dairy worker, had allegedly lent Rs 40,000 to the victim. When he went to her house demanding repayment, a heated argument broke out. Ansari became enraged by her alleged refusal to pay back the loan and strangled her to death. Following the murder, Ansari stole her gold ornaments to make the crime appear as a case of robbery.
Sangeeta’s son filed a complaint at Panvel City Police Station. Officers initiated an investigation and found that the jewellery on her body was missing. Police questioned around 30 residents of the area. They became suspicious as Ansari gave inconsistent statements, following which he was interrogated further and confessed to the crime.
Swift investigation by Panvel police
The investigation relied on technical evidence to identify and apprehend the accused as there were no eyewitnesses or CCTV footage. Police officials confirmed that further investigation is underway to verify if the accused had any prior criminal background.
