Navi Mumbai: Couple kills cab driver who ‘blackmailed’ them

A 19-year-old woman, a private sector employee from Navi Mumbai, and her boyfriend were arrested after allegedly hammering a cab driver to death. According to the woman, the cab driver blackmailed her with a video and demanded sexual favours.

The accused couple was arrested after they surrendered before the Sangamner police in the Ahilya Nagar district on April 6, following which the Navi Mumbai police were informed about the murder. The deceased cab driver has been identified as Surendra Pandey, 43. Police have identified the woman as Rhea Sarkanysingh, a resident of Ulwe. Originally from Punjab, she had recently moved to Navi Mumbai. She had secured a job in a private firm, where she met Vishal Shinde, 21, a police officer said.

According to the police, cab driver Pandey had offered Sarkanysingh accommodation as she was searching for a place to stay.  On April 2, Shinde visited Sarkanysingh, and during their time together, Pandey allegedly recorded their video and later began blackmailing the woman and also demanded sexual favours. Sarkanysingh informed Shinde about the blackmail, and the duo confronted Pandey. In the ensuing scuffle, the duo killed Pandey by striking him on the head with a hammer, police said.

After the murder, the pair fled to Pune, where they were involved in a minor accident, said police. The couple later travelled to Shinde’s hometown Sangamner, where they informed his parents about the crime, who persuaded them to surrender, said the officer mentioned above. The duo was arrested and brought to Navi Mumbai. They are currently in police custody until April 15, and further investigations are underway, said police.

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