Rishabh Nigam (30), apprehended by Navi Mumbai Police for allegedly murdering his long-time girlfriend Vandana Dwivedi (26), was remanded in police custody till February 3 by a Pune court on Monday.
Nigam purportedly shot Dwivedi, an engineer at Infosys, at a lodge in Hinjawadi's Laxminagar area on Saturday night, with the police learning about the incident on Sunday morning after the woman's blood-soaked body with bullet marks was discovered by the lodge staff.
"The post-mortem report indicates five bullets hit the victim. An inquiry is underway into Nigam's acquisition of the firearm," stated a Hinjawadi Police Station official.
Both Nigam and Dwivedi, natives of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, had been in a relationship since 2013, according to the official. While she secured employment at Infosys in Hinjawadi, Nigam remained in Lucknow.
Officials said the probe suggests that Nigam shot Dwivedi dead around 9.30pm, left the room, and took a cab to Mumbai. He was caught on Sunday during a 'nakabandi' in Navi Mumbai, the murder weapon also retrieved from him, and he was handed over to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police.
CCTV footage retrieved
Footage from the lodge CCTV camera on the third floor shows a man calmly exiting room number 306, minutes before 10pm on Saturday, and shutting the door behind him, allegedly following the crime.
'Pre-meditated murder'
Inside the room, the police found a helmet, a packet of biscuits, a bar of dark chocolate, and clothing on a table. Dwivedi was found on the floor between the table and the bed. “The fact that he had brought a gun to the room and the way he is seen leaving the room, suggests that this was pre-planned,” another officer said.
Events before the murder
Investigations hint at Nigam's perception that Dwivedi had been avoiding him lately. He had allegedly faced attacks by unidentified individuals, which he attributed to Dwivedi's influence. Additionally, he suspected Dwivedi of involvement with someone else. "The murder appears to stem from their strained relationship," concluded the official.
