BBlunt staffer missing: Cops nail accused after bloodstains are found in car

Victim Kirti Vyas

After throwing several red-herrings to divert the police's attention, Kirti Vyas's co-workers Siddhesh Tamhankar and Khushi Sahjwani at BBlunt, were arrested on Saturday for allegedly murdering her on March 16.

The police were able to sniff out the murder plot, after they found traces of blood in Sahjwani's car, which matched that of Vyas's parents. Vyas was last seen in the car, before she had gone missing.

The Bblunt Academy in Andheri. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

Murder motive
Crime branch sources suspect that Vyas was murdered over professional differences. Tamhankar, 28, a BCom graduate, who lives in an SRA building in Parel, and works as an account executive at BBlunt, was pulled up by Vyas, the finance manager of the Andheri West branch of the salon. In February, she had slapped him a notice, and asked him to quit by March 16, the day when the duo allegedly killed her.

Sahjwani, 43, who also works as academy manager in the salon, was having an extra-marital affair with Tamhankar, and helped him plot the murder, said a crime branch source.

Khushi Sahjwani and Siddhesh Tamhankar being produced at Esplanade Court on Saturday. Pic/Atul Kamble

Diverting the police
Both the suspects, were questioned by the police and crime branch, as they were last seen with Vyas near her Grant Road residence. They, however, managed to divert the police's attention. Sahjwani kept sharing FB posts on the Let's Help Find Kirti Vyas page until recently.

Tamhankar was present with the family and friends, at DB Marg police, when the missing persons complaint was filed. "He went around with the team of policemen, claiming he wanted to help them. All this while, he didn't even tell the cops that he and Sahjwani had met Vyas at the gate of her building complex," added an officer.

After the police started gathering CCTV footage, the duo realised that they could land in trouble. "Sahjwani then told the cops that she had gone to Marine Drive with Tamhankar that morning, and planned to pick up Vyas on the way. Vyas, however, asked them to drop her near Navjivan Society, so that she could take a train from Grant Road station," the officer said. When the cops asked them why they had kept them in the dark, Sahjwani said that as she was married, she didn't want anyone to know about their relationship.

Meanwhile, the family demanded that the case be handed over to the crime branch. "We were not happy with the investigation carried out by the DB Marg police and therefore, requested the commissioner to transfer the probe," said a relative.

Bloodstains in car
After the case was transferred to the crime branch on April 6, the officers sent the car to the Kalina Forensic Lab, where experts found blood on the mat inside the trunk. The officers suspect that the duo strangulated Vyas, and blood may have oozed out of her nose, and fallen on the mat. The blood samples were used to generate the DNA, which matched with the samples of her parents, Surekha and Rajendra Vyas. Police suspect that the duo disposed of the body near Mahul Port Trust, Wadala, where their call detail records were last traced to, on the night when Vyas went missing.

Prashant Raje, inspector, crime branch, Unit II said, "We have arrested the accused for murder and causing disappearance of evidence. We are still trying to locate the body."

Colleagues shocked
A person, who once worked at BBlunt said that Sahjwani was the face of the salon and academy as she headed the HR department. "She would be the one who addressed your concerns. She was very sweet. I'm shocked."

Spoorthy Shetty, CEO, Bblunt, said, "We are in constant touch with the authorities. We can only comment once we receive an official statement from the police."

Also read: BBlunt staffer murdered by colleagues over being sent a work notice

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