Navi Mumbai: A month after the arrest of a 21 year old man along with his girlfriend in a murder case, Ulwe police find the girl to be minor and pregnant following which the man now faces POCSO case as well. The accused identified as Vishal Sanjay Shinde (21), the accused in the murder case of Surendra Asaram Pandey (43) from Ulwe, was arrested in the first week of April along with his girlfriend after they surrendered before Sangamner police and revealed about the murder in Ulwe. The man is now accused of raping and impregnating his co-accused in the murder case.
Sangamner police who informed Ulwe police about the same then found the body of Pandey in his flat in decomposed state. The girl had identified herself as 19 year old initially and it was only during the investigations it was found that she was 17 year old and pregnant following which police have now booked Shinde for rape under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to police, Shinde, a resident of Sangamner, met the 17-year-old girl on Instagram a few months ago. Their online acquaintance blossomed into a romantic relationship, during which Shinde lured the girl with a promise of marriage. He then engaged in sexual relations with her at a lodge in Nashik and a rented room in Nagpur MIDC, Sangamner.
In March, the girl traveled to Navi Mumbai in search of a job and met Pandey, a resident of Ulwe Sector-24. Pandey offered her a place to stay at his home and promised to help her find employment. Meanwhile, the girl invited Shinde to Ulwe. During this time, Pandey allegedly made sexual advances toward the minor, leading to a heated argument between him and Shinde.
The dispute escalated, and on April 2, Shinde and the minor girl allegedly attacked Pandey with a hammer, killing him. They wrapped the body in a bedsheet, locked the house from the outside, and fled with Pandey’s WagonR car. The couple then traveled to Sangamner, where they informed Shinde's family about the murder. Following their family’s advice, the duo surrendered at the Sangamner Police Station. Ulwe Police later arrested both of them from Sangamner.
Police investigations revealed that the girl is a minor and is pregnant. It was found that Shinde had engaged in sexual relations with her even as she was underage, promising to marry her. Following these findings, the police have registered a case of rape and POCSO Act violations against Vishal in addition to the murder charges.
"Shinde is currently in judicial custody at Taloja Jail, while the minor girl is admitted to a hospital for medical care," a police officer from Ulwe police station said.
