Mumbai Crime: Police to check if mom’s body parts still stuck in drain

Rimple Jain, the daughter (right) the entrance to Ibrahim Kasam chawl in Lalbaug Naka, where the Jains lived

After arresting a 24-year-old woman for allegedly murdering her mother and storing her dismembered body at their Lalbaug home, Kalachowkie cops have found some pieces in a carton and also in the residence's drain. According to police sources, Rimple Jain tried to dispose of tiny parts of her mother's body in a drain a day after allegedly killing her, which left a stench in her house. Her boyfriend - the manager of an eatery in the area - got her a drain suction cup after she told him that the clogged drain was stinking.

Cops said they also recovered hand gloves covered in maggots along with the carton box. The Kalachowki police suspect involvement of others, too, and are questioning people from the locality. Teams have been sent to Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to bring two suspects, they said. Police have also questioned the manager of Flavours of China eatery, who they said is Rimple's boyfriend.

Veena Jain, the deceased

On November 28, the day after the alleged murder, the boyfriend went to her home and complained of foul smell, said police. Rimple told him that it was because the drain had choked. He got her a toilet suction cup and two bottles of perfume and a room freshener, and helped clean the drain.

Realising that she could mask the stench of decomposing body of her mother, Veena Jain, with perfume and room freshener, Rimple started flushing down small pieces down the drain, cops suspect. She didn't take a bath for almost three months and did not even change her clothes. She used perfume instead.

She bought over 200 perfume bottles and is yet to pay the bill, said the police, adding that they have recorded the statement of a chemist who sold the perfume. A team of forensic experts might visit the site to check whether the drainage line for any remaining pieces, said sources.

Also Read: Mumbai: 24-year-old daughter held for killing mother, storing pieces of her body for three months at home in Lalbaug

‘Fought with mom'

Police said Rimple's father died when she was just 1, in 2000, after which she and Veena moved to her maternal uncle's house. Even Veena was battling a serious illness, but her health deteriorated over a year ago, after the mother-daughter duo moved to the Lalbaug chawl. Rimple had been taking care of Veena since, but was frustrated with the responsibilities.

Sureshkumar Porwal, 60, Veena's elder brother, told the police Rimple often fought with her. "When I visited my sister on November 26, Veena told me that Rimple picks fights over petty issues. My sister was frail and weak. I told Rimple not to fight with my sister and told her that I would help in all possible ways., She would argue and even charge at her during heated arguments," he stated in his statement.

Police visited the locality with Rimple to recreate the alleged crime scene, on Thursday. Pic/Shirish Vaktania

Veena went missing after falling down from the common toilet area on the first floor on November 27. Police are investigating whether Veena fell down or she was pushed by Rimple. "It was around 5 am and dark, and there were no witnesses," a cop said. "Workers from the shops below went to help Veena and asked Rimple whether she needed help shifting her to a hospital, she said no. The roles of these workers are also being investigated. During the interrogation Rimple claimed that her mother died naturally, but she decided to dispose of her body fearing she would be blamed for her death," he added.

Cops in Bengal, UP

A team of cops are in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, to catch Bobby, who ran a sandwich stall in the area. On March 14, 2023, when Veena's cousin came to visit, Rimple said her mother had a paralysis attack and she had gone to Kanpur with ‘sandwichwala Bobby'. Another team is in West Bengal to nab another man, who was in constant touch with Rimple. He worked at the Chinese eatery.

Meanwhile, police have planned a DNA test to confirm the body is of Veena. They will use Rimple's fingerprints to find out whether the cutter, sickle and knife found from her home was used by her alone or someone else too. Rimple is in police custody until March 20. Kalachowki police on Thursday recreated the crime scene and took Rimple to her flat at Ibrahim Kasim chawl at Lalbaug.

Food delivery

Rimple would order her meals daily from Shri Sai Fast Food stall, located on the ground floor of the society and run by one Umesh Khavare. "Daily at 7.30 am, when I open my stall, Rimple would call me and order 2 vada pavs. I delivered lunch, too, but she would never personally receive the order. I had to leave the parcels outside the door. She would make the payment online every 10 days," Khavare said.

‘Fractured bones, cuts'

On condition of anonymity, a doctor from the forensic department of KEM hospital said, "The cause of death has been kept reserved because we need to do some tests to conclude. On Thursday, we conducted a whole-body CT scan which helped us to find several fractured bones. The body was chopped up with a sharp object and there were also three cuts on the back of the skull. The ribs were fractured but it is difficult to say whether the injuries on the bones happened before or after death. We will send samples of the bones to the histopath through which we will come to know whether the injuries were antemortem or post-mortem."

Inputs by Suraj Pandey