Palghar murder: Man kills girlfriend, cements her in loft

Amita Mohite. Pics/Hanif Patel

The police have arrested a 34-year-old Palghar man on the charge of killing his girlfriend and sealing the body in the loft of his rented flat with concrete. The highly decomposed body of the victim was recovered on Thursday.

Suraj Prakash Harmalkar

The police said accused Suraj Prakash Harmalkar and Amita Mohite, 32, were in a relationship for the past six years. He decided to get rid of her after she pressured him for marriage, they said.

On October 21 last year, Harmalkar took Umroli resident Amita out for shopping. However, she didn't return home and began responding only through WhatsApp. Since her family knew about Suraj, they initially didn't bother. When "I am fine and happy" became the standard reply from her number, Amita's kin began to worry.

Last week, Amita's brother Rupesh spotted Harmalkar at Boisar. The accused told him that she was in Vapi with his family members. Amita's family insisted on meeting her and took Suraj to Gujarat in a private vehicle. But he managed to escape from there.

Amita's parents and brother then filed a police complaint against Harmalkar. Guided by Palghar SP Dattatray Shinde, a team tracked him down on Thursday.

An officer from Boisar police said the accused didn't want to marry Amita despite their relationship but she insisted on it. He strangled her with a belt and wrapped the body in clothes and plastic sheets. He hid it in the space above the bathroom of his flat in Vangaon and sealed the loft with cement and bricks.

The rotting body was removed from the apartment in the F-wing of Vrindavan Darshan Society on Thursday. Harmalkar had rented it three years ago, said the police.

Harmalkar has been booked for murder and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code. Rupesh said, "We want Suraj Harmalkar to be tried in a fast-track and given the death penalty."