It's been almost two months since BBlunt Salon executive Kirti Vyas was allegedly murdered by her colleagues, with her body being dumped into a creek at Mahul port in Mumbai, which flows into the sea.
However, the cops have failed to recover the body of the 28-year-old. Since the last three days, the police have launched a massive hunt along the Mahul Wadala creek roping in expert divers, fishermen and the coast guard. However, speculation is rife over the accused – identified as Siddhesh Tamhankar, 28, and his girlfriend Khushi Sahjwani, 42 – misleading the efforts by suggesting different spots where the body could be recovered.
Vyas was allegedly strangled by Tamhankar minutes after she got into an SUV owned by Khushi on 16 March. Tamhankar allegedly murdered Vyas because he did not want to be fired from his job, as the latter had issued a notice to him, asking him to show improvement in his work.
According to the police, the accused dumped the body into the creek at Mahul port knowing that it would be swept away into the sea, thereby keeping the murder a secret. After dumping the body, Tamhankar purportedly even washed his car twice so that the blood stains would be washed away.
Not just this, Khushi had even started a Facebook campaign after the murder urging people to find Vyas, posting emotional messages and even interacting with the victim's family and friends, so as to mislead the police in the whole case.
However, the suspicion on the two colleagues was raised when the crime branch recovered CCTV footage, which showed Vyas sitting in Khushi's SUV.
Body Hid in the Boot of the Car
According to crime branch officials, Vyas was picked up by Tamhankar and Khushi from her residence at Grant Road. Both the accused wanted to speak to her and convince her to take back the notice she had issued to Tamhankar. However, when she refused to accede to their demand, Tamhankar, who was sitting at the back of the car, strangulated her.
The duo allegedly hid Vyas’s body in the boot of the car and decided to dispose of the body only when it was dark so that no would notice them.
Subsequently, Khushi parked her SUV outside her house in Santacruz, with the body still in its trunk, and headed off to work, sources said.
After returning back from work, the accused first went to the Bandra to dispose the body, but found the area too crowded. They then headed off to find an isolated spot in the Wadala area, which Tamhankar knew quite well as he had lived there for the last five years. The body was ultimately dumped in a creek just behind the IMAX theatre in the locality.
After the duo were arrested, both refused to acknowledge the crime initially. But after interrogation by the police, Khushi ultimately broke down and confessed to the crime.
Though the police claims that they have plenty of evidence to get a conviction for the duo, the missing body might just be the weak link in the entire case.
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