A 46-year-old man was arrested on Friday for allegedly choking a woman to death following an argument. The woman identified as Hasina, 42, was allegedly found murdered on Wednesday night near the Sewri BDD Building. Following a complaint filed by her brother, the police launched an investigation that led to the arrest of the accused, who confessed to killing the woman following an altercation.
The accused, identified as Chandan Mishra, a resident of Sewri, was seen with the victim a few hours before the murder. According to a police officer privy to the investigation, Mishra had spotted her at an eatery near the BDD Building. Both were reportedly intoxicated at the time. Mishra allegedly asked the woman if she was willing to accompany him in exchange for money. Before leaving together, the two also shared a meal.
According to the complainant, Mohammad Salim Abdul Sayyed, 36, Hasina’s younger brother, Hasina was married to a 60-year-old man named Devichand Hiralal Jain. The couple lived together on the footpath adjoining Sewri railway station. In his statement, Sayyed said that Hasina had been a severe alcoholic for the past three years. “Most days when she drinks, she has no idea about her surroundings,” he told the police.
During the investigation, while coordinating with other police units, including the Government Railway Police (GRP), officers learned that the victim was often found in an inebriated state at railway stations and, on several occasions, had to be forcibly removed by authorities. On Wednesday night, around 11, Jain spotted a semi-naked woman lying on the street near BDD Building No. 9, across from the Jai Hanuman Fitness Centre. Upon looking closer, he realised it was his wife Hasina.
The victim was found in a bloodied state, with visible bruises on her neck, head, and back, along with injury marks and bleeding on her neck, knees, lips, and nose. Noticing she was unresponsive, Jain and Sayyed suspected foul play and immediately alerted the police. A team from the RAK Marg police station arrived at the scene along with an ambulance, which rushed Hasaina to KEM Hospital, where she was declared dead upon arrival, and a case was subsequently registered.
Police initially suspected Jain, but soon ruled out his involvement. The following day, investigators detained six individuals who were known to have had sexual relations with the victim. Of them, five were identified as clients involved in transactional sex. The sixth individual emerged as the prime suspect and was later arrested. On Friday, Mishra was produced in court.
Police said they scanned nearby areas and relied on local informants as there were no CCTV cameras in or around the crime scene. Eyewitnesses at the eatery where the victim had her last meal confirmed that the man accompanying her had arrived on a motorcycle. Another witness in the vicinity also recalled spotting a biker with mud-stained clothing. Mishra has confessed to the murder.
