Garbage collector knived Mumbai flight attendant after she resisted sex assault bid, police finds

A garbage collector from Andheri (East) stands accused of brutally killing a 24-yr-old flight attendant on the third floor of her flat in Powai, Mumbai. The tragic incident unfolded on Sunday, leading to the arrest of the suspect, Vikram Athwal, aged 35. Powai police are awaiting the provisional postmortem certificate before deciding whether to invoke IPC Section 354, which deals with outraging the modesty of a woman. Preliminary findings from the postmortem report have ruled out sexual assault. However, investigators plan to collect Athwal’s DNA samples while preserving the victim’s viscera and swabs for further examination, as confirmed by a police officer. On the fateful Sunday around 11:30 am, Athwal reportedly knocked on the door of the flight attendant’s flat to collect garbage. Armed with a knife, he deceived her into believing there was a water leak from the flush tank. He lured her into the bathroom, where he attempted to sexually assault her. When the brave woman resisted his advances, he resorted to violence, stabbing her. After the gruesome act, he cleaned the bloodstains from the floor and washed his uniform before leaving the flat. Surprisingly, Athwal changed into different clothing within the building premises before departing the society at 2 pm, instead of his usual 4 pm sign-off time. Athwal reportedly admitted that his intention was to frighten and assault the woman, but the situation escalated, resulting in two stab wounds to her neck. Shockingly, none of the residents in the other five flats on the same floor heard any disturbances or the victim’s cries for help during the ordeal, according to a police officer. The garbage collector, accused of the murder that took place in the victim’s Andheri (East) flat bathroom, confessed to police that he cleaned his bloodied uniform in another bathroom and diligently wiped away his footprints after accidentally stepping in the victim’s blood. In addition to the murder charge under IPC Section 302, Athwal may face charges under the Arms Act and additional sections of the Indian Penal Code for house trespass, as per the police. During questioning, police noted fresh nail scratches on Athwal’s hands, suggesting that he may have sustained them while the victim fought back during the sexual assault attempt. Athwal sought medical attention for his hand injuries, attributing them to glass shards, but his wife expressed doubts about his account, as revealed by a police officer. Her statement was recorded on Tuesday. Athwal appeared before the Andheri metropolitan magistrate court on Tuesday and was remanded to police custody until September 8. DCP (Zone X) Datta Nalawade stated that Athwal currently faces a murder charge, while Inspector Prakash Kawale, along with Senior Inspector Supriya Patil, leads the eight-member investigative team that apprehended Athwal at his workplace in the Andheri building on Monday. The victim’s family has transported her body to her hometown for the final rites. She had moved into the rented flat just three months prior, alongside her cousin and a friend. The flight attendant’s lifeless body was discovered in a pool of blood by her cousin’s friend, who visited the flat around 10 pm on Sunday. Unable to get a response at the door, they enlisted the help of a keymaker to gain entry. It was then that they discovered her dead in the bathroom. The statement of the friend, who used the duplicate key, was recorded on Tuesday, shedding more light on this tragic incident.