Malabar Hill senior citizen's murder: Suspect got job with reference of father, a neighbourhood guard

(From left) Jyoti Shah, the deceased; Kanhaiya Kumar Pandey, the alleged killer; the accused’s father

Kanhaiya Kumar Pandey, 21, the alleged killer of 63-year-old Jyoti Shah, had been hired recently based on a reference from his father, a security guard. The youth was arrested by the Malabar Hill police at Bhusawal Junction railway station on Wednesday evening after his father was taken into custody. The accused had allegedly strangled Shah, a resident of Malabar Hill whose husband owns a jewellery shop at Nariman Point. Her body was found in the bedroom of her flat on Tuesday.

The police have learnt that Pandey's police verification had not been completed and that two diamond bangles were missing from the house. The youth, a resident of Sitamarhi city in Bihar, had completed his HSC and was in search of a job. His father has been working as a security guard in a society neighbouring the one in which the Shah family resides for the past few years.

The ghastly incident

Shah resided with her husband Mukesh on the 20th floor of Tahnee Heights on Nepean Sea Road. The incident came to light when Mukesh returned home and found her unconscious. A police officer stated, "Three months ago, the father of the accused asked a society cleaner to help find a job for his son. The latter, after speaking with society members, found a job for the youth in a household. Pandey arrived in Mumbai three months ago and began working as a domestic help for the Shah family two days before the incident."

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The family's residence on Nepean Sea Road at Malabar Hill

The officer further stated, "On Tuesday, around 3-4 pm, Shah was at home but was not responding to calls from Mukesh. First, her daughter Neha tried calling her but received no response. Neha then called the landline but no one picked up. When Neha called the cook around 5 pm, she was informed that he had visited the house but Shah did not open the door. Around 6 pm, when Mukesh arrived home, he found his wife lying unconscious on the floor. Shah was rushed to Elizabeth Hospital in south Mumbai, where she was pronounced dead before admission." In the post-mortem report, strangulation marks were found on her neck and signs of a struggle on her hands.

The manhunt and arrest

During the investigation, the police discovered that Pandey had been missing since the incident and had turned off his mobile phone. The Malabar Hill police immediately detained Pandey's father and formed nine teams to track down the accused, with one dispatched to Bihar. The crime branch was also involved in the investigation.

Jyoti Shah with her husband Mukesh and daughter Neha

Pandey was eventually traced to Bhusawal Junction railway station in Jalgaon district. The police learnt that after the murder, the youth caught a train from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. He also changed the SIM card in his phone before contacting a friend and relative. After coming to know that the accused was using a new SIM card, the cops traced his location using his device's International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number and found out that he was on a moving train. They then informed the railway police, setting the stage for his capture.

Mar 13
Day accused was arrested