Cops arrest man living on floor above slain woman's flat, suspect he may have been around in crowd even as people took victim to hospital

Family friend suspected in Dhankawadi killing

Cops arrest man living on floor above slain woman's flat, suspect he may have been around in crowd even as people took victim to hospital

Neighbours and family friends of 36-year-old Bindu Krishnakumar Nair are in shock. Nair was stabbed in her third-floor residence at Shiv Shambho Apartment near Rajmudra Society in Dhankawadi yesterday afternoon.

She died in hospitalu00a0 a few hours later. According to initial investigation, police suspect that Nair's killer was known to her and was inside the apartment while she was being shifted to the hospital.

Offer of help
The suspect's identity was revealed as Satchit Nambiar. The police arrested him near Bharti Vidyapeeth.

The residents also claimed that when the injured lady was being shifted to the hospital, they spotted Nambiar in the crowd who offered to help them and called for an auto. According to the police, Nambiar is from Kerala and was close to the family. Nambiar had been staying above Nair's flat for the last seven months. Police suspect that money could be the reason for murder.

Nanda Mahadik, who stays in a flat opposite to Nair, rushed to help her when she heard her screams.

She said, "I saw Nair rushing outside and opened the door but unfortunately she collapsed on the floor. I fainted on the spot after seeing her. Other residents also reached there and took her down."

Nair received stab injuries on her back and right hand and was shifted to hospital but succumbed to injuries hours later.

Nair's parents live in Kerala and the only relatives who stay nearby are her husband's brother Ramakrishnan Balan Nair and his wife Sangeetha. "I just got a call from their neighbours and immediately rushed to the spot," said Sangeetha who is yet to come out of shock. "Bindu was a good-natured person who used to take active part in society's events and was also a member of Pune's Kerala Samajam. This comes as a jolt to us," said one of the relatives.

According to the police, Nambiar liked Nair. Also, Krishnakumar had borrowed Rs 50,000 from Nambiar. DCP Rajkumar Mor (Zone II) said, "We suspect that the assailant was inside the flat and may have assaulted her.

The person was probably still inside while she was being shifted and might have disappeared taking advantage of the crowd."u00a0

Police suspect a scuffle between the victim and the suspect and have recovered a gold chain and one gold earring from the apartment. Though arrested, Nambiar has not confessed to the crime yet.

Nair is survived by her husband and a son, a Std VIII student. Both of them had left early and were not home at the time of the incident. Senior PI Bajirao Bhosale said: "Krishnakumar returned from his shop when he received a call from his friend informing him about the incident.

Abandoned bike
During the search, police recovered an abandoned motorbike that was parked near the building.
(With inputs from Pavitra)

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