Representative image of a crime scene.
Credit: iStock Photo
Guwahati: A diamond and car trader hailing from Pune, Maharashtra, who allegedly blackmailed his "former girlfriend," was found murdered inside a five-star hotel in Guwahati on Monday, police here said on Tuesday.
Guwahati police commissioner, Diganta Barah told reporters on Tuesday that the crime was committed on Monday afternoon and the accused, a couple from Kolkata, were caught at around 6pm, while they were on their way to the LGBI airport in Guwahati.
The victim, who was found murdered with a pool of blood inside his room on the ninth floor of Radisson Blu hotel, has been identified as Sandeep Suresh Kamble, 44, a resident of Shastrinagar, Pune. The accused, Anjali Shaw, 25 and Vikash Kumar Shaw, 23, hail from Howrah in Kolkata, police said.
Police said interrogation of the accused and investigation so far revealed that Sandeep and Anjali were in a relationship since September last year when they came in touch in Kolkata airport. Anjali works as a store manager in a restaurant in the airport.
"Their relationship grew and they even spent nights in hotels in Kolkata and Pune. During such intimate encounters, Kamble took photographs of such intimate moments. The victim also used to send expensive gifts to the girl," police said.
Police said despite being already married, Sandeep wanted to marry Anjali and kept on forcing her to break her relationship with her boyfriend Vikash. "Gradually, their relationship fell apart and Anjali started avoiding the victim. But the victim became more possessive and started blackmailing her by showing their photographs of intimate moments, even to Vikash and their family."
"When Anjali could not bear the regular torture any longer, she along with her boyfriend hatched a plan to meet Sandeep in a hotel and then snatch his phones containing the photographs. Accordingly, Sandeep and Anjali came together to Guwahati while Vikash came separately. The three entered the same hotel at around 1pm on Monday. Anjali also brought sleeping pills and bhang-induced laddoos to feed Sandeep. At around 2pm, Viaksh entered Sandeep and Anjali's room and got into a scuffle as they tried to snatch the victim's mobile phones," police said. Police suspects Sandeep died after he was hit on his head with some iron items in the room.
The accused first fled to the Kamakhya railway station, about 2kms from the hotel, but later changed their plan and rushed towards LGBI airport, situated about 10kms away. They had also called up the hotel asking them to check Sandeep's room saying he fell sick. Based on information shared by the hotel, police swung into action and caught the duo at around 6pm, while they were on their way to the airport. They were planning to catch a Kolkata-bound flight at 9.15pm. The tickets were booked earlier, police said.