The Bandra Magistrate on Tuesday extended the police custody of two arrested accused -- Shree Jogdhankar, 22, and Diya Padalkar till January 14 in connection with the brutal murder of a 19-year-old Jhanvi Kukreja in Khar on New Year's Eve.
According to police, the motive of the brutal murder is yet to be unearthed and Shree, Diya are still keeping mum on the incident. Police also received Jhanvi's post mortem report, which states that she had sustained 48 injuries on her body during the incident.
Adv. Trivankumar Karnani and Adv. Gayatri Gokhale, who appeared on behalf of Jhanvi's parents, submitted to the court that the extended police custody is imperative in this matter to ascertain the motive. "Jhanvi had sustained 48 injuries on her body, stating the brutality of the murder, revealed the autopsy report. Also, it is imperative to extend the police custody to unearth the motive of the crime and interrogate as to how 48 injuries were injected into the victim, leading to her brutal murder," said Advocate Karnani.
During the remand hearing, police informed the court that they are also trying to trace the taxi and its driver, which was hired by the prime accused Shree Jogdhankar after he left the premises of Bhagwati Heights on Khar's 14th Road on New Year Eve. Police sources claimed that they have been trying to get the number of the taxi taken by Shree, whose statement will be recorded to corroborate the accused's movements.
Meanwhile, Shree's legal counsel, advocate Ganesh Gupta said that his client's custody is no longer required on substantial grounds. "Shree complained in the court today that police has been forcing him to sign a statement on a blank paper, to which the court pulled them up. We have also argued to summon the doctor who discharged Shree from the hospital and ascertain if he was fit to be released or not," said Gupta.
Khar Police are awaiting the forensic examination of the accused duo, as the mysterious injuries sustained by Shree are largely unaccounted for. "Shree had sustained a head injury, rib fracture, scratches on the back and hand injury, which does not add up to the sequence of events," said the official.
