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METRO > 06.11.2012 > MUMBAI, www.mid-day.com

Obama and Romneys final face-off > WORLD 14

Victims statement

I TRIED TO RUN OUT, BUT HE PULLED ME BACK

The robber threatened the victim with a knife and asked her to hand over her gold; when she said she did not possess any, he forced himself upon her; she later locked herself into bathroom and screamed for help
SHIVA DEVNATH
shiva.devnath@mid-day.com

REPRESENTATION PIC

A BURGLAR raped a 27-year-old Spanish national in the wee hours yesterday, after he climbed into her Perry Cross Road apartment through an unsecured window. The woman has now sought the protection of her embassy, and was also sent to Nagpada police hospital for medical examination, after which the police filed a rape and robbery case against an unidentified man. Police said that the incident was reported to them around 5 am, after her neighbours heard her cries for help and reported the matter to them. Earlier in the day, the unidentified accused had entered other buildings in the neighbourhood in Bandra to burgle flats, but didnt have much luck. He entered two buildings, was beaten up by watchmen, and got away with only Rs 5,000. Later, he entered the Peridot building and climbed up to the third floor around 3.30 pm, where the victim stays. The woman, who had come to Mumbai to learn classical music, has been staying with a roommate, a photographer.

Her roommate is presently in Kerala, and the victim was thus alone in the apartment. She is based in Germany, where she works as a music director. The police officers said that the accused wriggled in through the window of the victims house, and found her sleeping in her bedroom. As he entered, she woke up. Wielding a knife he found in the kitchen, he asked her to hand over gold and money. When the victim said that she did not have any valuables, the accused forced himself on her and tried to rape her. She ran outside her apartment and knocked on her neighbours door, but found it locked. The accused pulled her back into the flat and raped her, following which she escaped into the bathroom and locked herself in, said an officer from Bandra police station. Alerted by neighbours, police reached the spot. They have now prepared eight teams and are in the process of rounding up suspects. On the basis of the victims statement, we have registered a case of rape and robbery. After the medical examination the case will become clearer. No arrest has been made yet, said

neighbour, who is also a friend of the victim. In the afternoon, she returned with embassy officials. She packed her belongings and left with them, she added.

Investigations on
The Bandra police rounded up seven suspects yesterday, including the burglar who robbed a watch and iPhones from actor Dino Moreas house on October 26. The man was arrested on October 29 and later released on bail. We have sent the robbers photo to the woman for identification, said an officer. They also sent the victim for a medical examination to the Nagpada police hospital to confirm rape, after conducting a panchnama of the apartment and recording statements from the womans neighbours and watchmen in the building. Police officers said they had also sent samples taken from the woman to the forensic laboratory. The womans statement and her medical reports are sufficient to build a case against the accused, even if she leaves the country. We are at present focusing on arresting the accused, said a police officer.

HAVE YOU SEEN HIM? Sketch of the accused released by the Bandra police. Cops had rounded up seven suspects by late evening yesterday. (Left) The building at Perry Cross Road where the incident took place.

Vishwas Nangre Patil, addition- dow, we asked her what had al commissioner of police (West happened and she told us that region). that a robber had entered her house. We immediately Neighbours speak informed the police and asked One of the neighbours said, her to calm down. A police team and fire Late at night, I heard a woman screaming, and woke others up. brigade officers came to the When we realised they were building at 5.30 am and rescued coming from a bathroom win- the woman, said another

As soon as I heard some noise, I woke up. I was shocked to see a man in his 30s with a knife in his hand, wearing a cap and a handkerchief masking his face. He asked for gold, and then pounced on me, said the victim in her police statement. Threatening the woman, the man kept repeating the word gold. When I said I didnt possess any gold, the man threatened to kill me if I shouted. He then forced himself on me. My gown tore, and he tried to rape me. I left the room, ran out, and banged on my neighbours door. He pulled me back into the apartment, pushed me onto the bed and started raping me, she said. She added, I ran into my bathroom and locked it from inside. Fearing he was waiting outside, I shouted for help through the bathroom window. My neighbours responded to my cries. They asked me what was the matter. Within 45 minutes they knocked down the bathroom door and got me out.

1 LOVE MARRIAGE, 3 MURDERS

Police suspect a 35-year-old idli vendor was beheaded by his second wifes brothers after he killed one of their siblings to avenge his fathers murder
VINAY DALVI
vinay.dalvi@mid-day.com

IN a case where love marriage gave birth to severe animosity between families, a 35-year-old idli vendor was beheaded at the busiest junction in Dadar (West) yesterday. Malayappan Pevar, who hails from Tamil Nadu, was killed by five men at Gopinath Chavan Chowk on Bhavani Shankar Road around 11 am. Five armed people attacked Pevar with chopper and a sword and then beheaded him, said Jayendra Sawant, API of Dadar police station. Police said the accused left the weapons near the crime

scene and fled. The weapons that we have recovered are used in the villages of southern India, said Dhanajay Kulkarni, DCP of Zone V.

Deadly affair
According to cops, the idli vendors slaughter is the third murder in the bloodied love saga. Narrating the turn of events, Kulkarni said, Pevar had gone to attend a relatives wedding in Tirunelveli district around two years ago. Thats where he met Rama, who was preparing for IAS, and love blossomed between the two. Despite resistance from Ramas family, Pevar eloped

with her and came to Mumbai. Pevar brought the girl to his house in Koliwada, Sion and married her. Interestingly, he had already tied the knot with a woman named Rani in his village and they had two kids, said Kulkarni. He added that Pevars second marriage angered Ranis family. Also, when Ramas brothers found out about Pevars previous marriage, they too were infuriated, he said. In a fit of rage, Ramas brothers killed Pevars 70-year-old father Pecchi Muthu. To avenge the death of his father, Pevar went back to his hometown and killed one of the Ramas five

brothers. After he and his friends, was arrested on charge of murder, he procured bail and returned to Mumbai. Recently Pevars brother had approached the Antop Hill police and had lodged a complaint of threat to Pevars life from the brothers of both his wives. Pevar has two children from Rani and a year-old kid from Rama. We suspect involvement of deceaseds second wifes brothers in the killing, and have sent a team to Tamil Nadu to look for them. Besides, well interrogate Ranis brothers to CRIME SCENE: The stall at Gopinath Chavan Chowk on Bhavani Shankar check if they had any role in the Road in Dadar (West) where (inset) Malayappan Pevar was killed by five murder, said Sawant. unidentified men yesterday morning

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