Motive behind murder still unclear

A day after a sex worker was arrested for the murder of a Bandra police constable, Dilip Borale, after his charred body was found in her Santacruz house, the police claim that the motive for murder is still not clear.

According to the police, the woman's claim of suffering from a fatal and infectious disease is making it difficult for officials to interrogate her. However, the accused seems to have planned out the murder over the last two weeks. The accused, Aarti Yadav, 30, has confessed to killing the constable after spiking his drinks with sleeping pills and later strangling him and setting the body on fire in her rented accommodation on Juhu Tara Road on Friday.

A police officer said, "We believe that Yadav rented the accommodation ten days ago with the intention of killing him. Financial dispute could be a reason since she owed him Rs20,000 which she was unable to repay. The accused claims to be suffering from a serious illness which has affected her immune system. We are awaiting medical reports, which will come after four days, to verify her claims. Therefore, we are not able to interrogate her extensively."

However, the accused has been changing her statements, leading to a suspicion that there may be more than meets the eye. D Jadhav, ACP of Santacruz police division said, "We are verifying if more people are involved. Currently, the accused has been remanded under police custody till September 17." The accused was arrested from her home in Goregaon East. Apart from the constable's charred body, the police found his wallet, identification card, gold chain, ring and service belt at the spot. "We are verifying call records of both the deceased and the accused," said the officer.

"The accused was also charged with immoral trafficking case by the Santacruz police twice in the past," the officer added.