Woman techie shot dead by boyfriend in Pune hotel room

Pune (Maharashtra), Jan 29: A Lucknow man, who allegedly pumped at least four bullets into his girlfriend from his hometown, was arrested near Thane and will be produced before the Pune Court here on Monday.

The victim, identified as Vandana Dwivedi, 26, was a techie with the Infosys in Pune and the alleged accused is Rishabh Nigam, who was caught late on Sunday during a ‘nakabandi’ in Navi Mumbai (Thane) with the murder weapon.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Assistant Commissioner of Police (Wakad Division) Vishal Hire said that “the motive behind the killing is not yet clear”.

“We have registered the case on Sunday and investigations are progressing. The accused shall be produced before a court for remand today,” ACP Hire told IANS.

As per the sequence of events, Nigam had booked a hotel room in Hinjewadi’s Laxminagar area on January 27 where the deceased Dwivedi had gone to meet him.

Preliminary probe suggests that after the woman shifted to Pune for work, the duo had a rocky relationship which may have led to a dispute and a brawl in the hotel room late on Saturday night.

In a fit of anger, Nigam whipped out his pistol and shot her repeatedly, with at least four bullets hitting her on the head and neck, before he fled from there, according to police.

The hotel staff on Sunday discovered the woman's blood-soaked body with the bullet marks and informed the police who immediately launched a probe and a manhunt to track down Nigam.

He was intercepted on Sunday morning while going to Mumbai, the murder weapon also retrieved from him, and he was handed over to the Pimpri Chinchwad Police late last night.

Subsequently, Nigam has confessed to the murder and he will be produced before a Pune Court for remand later Monday.

The hotel staff have told the police they did not hear the multiple bullets being fired as there was a huge celebration in the vicinity after the Maratha quota agitation was called off in Navi Mumbai on January 27.