Mumbai murder: Sane who cooked his live-in partner's body parts was 'feeding' dogs

While Sane claims his live-in partner committed suicide, cops suspect that he could have killed her before he began disposing her body. Custodial interrogation will bring out the truth.

Thane:Manoj Sane who was remanded to police custody by a court after Police recovered chopped and cooked body parts of his live-in partner from his flat, was feeding dogs for the past few days. The jurisdictional court in Maharashtra's Thane district remanded the 56-year-old in police custody for interrogation till June 16.

Police quoting neighbours said Sane had been feeding stray dogs for the past few days. The neighbours had not seen him or his live-in partner doing it before. "They had not seen him doing it earlier," said a senior police official who is privy to the investigation. The official did not clarify whether Sane was offering the cooked meat of his partner or merely trying to befriend the strays as he had to take multiple trips with body parts to dispose them.

Motive yet to be ascertained-While the police is yet to establish the motive behind the crime, Sane has been booked on charges of murder and destruction of evidence in the First Information Report (FIR) lodged at Naya Nagar Police station. Sane has claimed that his live-in partner committed suicide and that he thought he will be blamed. Therefore, decided to dispose her body. Custodial interrogation will bring out the truth, an official said.

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The victim-Saraswati Vaidya, (36), an orphan, was living in an ashram in the western suburb of Borvili, before she moved in with Sane. She first met Sane who used to work in a ration shop. They became close since 2014. They began living together since 2016. They moved to their Mira Road apartment three years ago. According to the neighbours, the couple has not been found quarrelling and always kept it to themselves.

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In Sane's bedroom, police found a huge plastic bag and a blood-stained tree cutter. Police saw boiled human flesh in a pressure cooker and in a few vessels on the kitchen counter with the woman's hair lying around. Half-burnt bones and flesh were stored in buckets and tubs and in the kitchen sink.

Forensic test-A few of the human flesh were crushed in a mixer. Naya Nagar police which has jurisdiction over the crime scene has sent samples of the body parts for forensic tests to the JJ Hospital in Mumbai. Jayant Bajbale, DCP-Zone I of Mira-Bhayander-Vasai-Virar police, said: "We have sent some samples of the body parts for forensic tests."

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When the police forced themselves into flat no. 704 on the seventh floor of Geeta Akashdeep building in Mira Road East, the residence reeked of a foul stench. The police action followed complaints from neighbours. Sane who was present inside the room did not respond to the police requests to open the door. (with Agency inputs)