<![CDATA[The Thane Rural Police Crime Branch on Sunday arrested a 25-year-old auto-rickshaw driver in connection with the murder of a 28-year-old man and the rape of his 26-year-old girlfriend near Titwala last week. The accused, identified as Sanjay Naravade aged 25, had allegedly confronted the couple on the Ambernath Titwala Road and tried to rob them. When they resisted, the accused shot the man and then raped his girlfriend at gunpoint before making off with their valuables. Police sources told earlier this year that the Shivaji Nagar police station in Thane had registered a robbery case where the victims, also a couple, had been robbed at gunpoint in a secluded spot in Ambernath. The police obtained details of the case and observed similarities in the modus operandi. The accused was believed to be from Ulhasnagar, and inquiries were initiated. Simultaneously, police were also tracking the rape victim’s cell phone, which the accused had taken with him. It was traced to Ulhasnagar. The Thane Rural Police Crime Branch told that based on the cellular location of the phone, the police launched a manhunt in Ulhasnagar and ultimately tracked the accused to a lodge, using the sketch that had been prepared based on the victim's description. When the police searched the room of the accused, the search yielded a foreign-made revolver and three live rounds. He was then taken to Kalyan Taluka police station. The police officer told that the inquiries established Mr. Naravade’s involvement in the crime, and he was subsequently placed under arrest. He has said during interrogation that he bought the pistol from a friend in Aurangabad for ₹25,000. The police are tracking this friend and are also finding out if the accused has used the pistol for other illegal activities. Police have also recovered cell phones of both victims as well as the deceased’s bike keys from the accused. He has been charged with murder, rape and criminal intimidation under the IPC and the Arms Act.]]>
