Criminal on bail held for rape, murder of woman

Navi Mumbai police have arrested a history sheeter in connection with the rape and murder of a 27-year-old local woman earlier this month.
Rajkumar Pandey, hailing from Khalapur in Raigad district neighbouring Mumbai, was apprehended from Taloja on a tip off.
The woman, identified as Anjali Pawar, was murdered on night of November 3 allegedly by Pandey who has a string of cases registered against him, said senior police inspector N B Kolhatkar of crime unit II, Panvel.
According to police, Pandey was out on bail in connection with a burglary case and started living with his girlfriend Nazuka alias Monica Mane at Akurli in Panvel taluka.

Pawar was friend of Mane, who was staying opposite the latter's house in locality.
Police suspect that Pandey drank liquor on night of November 3 before forcibly entering Pawar's house where he raped her.

He was angry as Pawar narrated the incident to Mane and also decided to approach police.
According to police, Pandey picked up a knife from Pawar's house and allegedly slit her throat in a fit of rage and also slashed veins of her wrists.
He later dragged her body to bathroom and dumped it there after locking house from outside, police said.