Mumbai student rape and murder: Accused was not official security guard at hostel, used to harass victim, say police

The 35yearold security guard who was the prime suspect in the rape and murder of an 18yearold girl student of a government hostel in south Mumbai was not officially appointed but was a laundry man who committed suicide after the crime police said on WednesdayThe father of the victim and her friend also an inmate of the facility located in Charni Road area told the police that the accused used to harass the student but the hostel administration failed to actFollowing outrage over the crime the Maharashtra government on Wednesday said a onemember committee would conduct an inquiry into the incidentPolice are also investigating whether any other person was involved in the crimeThe victim who was staying alone in her room located on the fourth floor of the building was expected to go home after her last paper of the polytechnic course on Tuesday a police official saidShe was raped and strangled to death with cloth inside her room on the intervening night of Monday and TuesdayThe investigation so far revealed that the security guard committed suicide by lying in front of a suburban train after committing the crime on early Tuesday morningThe key of the room of the deceased was found in the pocket of the deceased the official saidThere are three security guards appointed officially for the safety and security of inmates of the hostel But the accused used to iron the clothes of inmates of the hostel He was not officially appointed as the security guard but was given the task unofficially the official saidThe preliminary investigation suggests that the accused entered the room of the woman by opening the latch of the door with a key After killing her he locked the room from outside and went to the railway tracks to end his life he saidThe hostel initially had the capacity to accommodate 450 inmates but for the last several months only 50 girl students and some women were staying in various rooms as the building was in a dilapidated condition he saidAlso readOne arrested from UP for robbery attempt at jewellery shop in ThaneThere are CCTV cameras installed in the hostel building but the CCTV camera on the fourth floor was not working and it seems the accused took advantage of it The deceased student was staying alone on the fourth floor on the day of the incident he saidEarlier two girl students who were also staying on the fourth floor had left the hostel after their examsPolice have so far recorded statements of seven persons including family members of the victim other inmates and officials of the hostel the official saidOne of the friends of the victim told the police that the security guard used to harass her he saidThe father of the victim also alleged the same and blamed the administration for not taking proper measures he saidThe hostel warden told police that she never received any complaint against the accused security guard earlier If a complaint was raised earlier it would have been addressed immediately the official said quoting the wardenThe victim was with her female friend till 1130 pm on Monday The accused was seen leaving the hostel at 444 am on Tuesday the official saidThe accused who hailed from Uttar Pradesh had left his mobile phone in the security cabin the official addedEarlier in the day Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil announced the formation of a onemember panel to probe the crimeDr Nipun Vinayak state project director will head the onemember committee State director of Higher Education and Divisional Joint Director from the Higher Education department will assist him The inquiry report has to be filed at the earliest said the government orderMaharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis said it was an unfortunate incidentPolice are investigating various angles and details will come out soon It has emerged that the hostel security guard committed suicide he told reportersBased on a complaint by the students cousin and circumstantial evidence an FIR was registered against the security guard under Indian Penal Code sections 302 Punishment for murder and 376 rape an official saidThe body of the deceased will be handed over to her parents on Thursday police saidThe Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar visited the Marine Drive police station where the case is registered and consoled her family membersThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever