The spot on the Ambernath-Chinchpada road in Titwala where the woman was allegedly raped and her boyfriend murdered. The spot on the Ambernath-Chinchpada road in Titwala where the woman was allegedly raped and her boyfriend murdered. THE Thane rural police Crime Branch on Sunday arrested a man, who allegedly shot dead a 28-year-old man and raped his girlfriend on the Ambernath-Chinchpada road in Titwala on March 5. The accused is an autorickshaw driver from Ulhasnagar, police said. Police have identified him as 30-year-old Sanjay Narvade, a resident of Ulhasnagar. “We used our informants and trapped him in Ulhasnagar. He has confessed to the crime,” said an officer investigating the case. On March 5, Ganesh Dinkar (28) and his girlfriend went on a long ride on the secluded road between Ambernath and Chinchpada. But when they halted at a spot near Teen-Jhar, they were allegedly accosted by the accused, who demanded they hand over their valuables and asked the woman to accompany him. When Dinkar intervened, the accused allegedly shot him, killing him on the spot. He then took the 30-year-old woman behind the bushes and allegedly raped her, before fleeing with the couple’s valuables. The woman’s cries were heard by some passersby from nearby Nalimbi village. They alerted the Ambernath police, who lodged the case and sent the man to a hospital. According to investigators, Narvade allegedly committed the crime because he thought the couple would have money. “He saw the motorcycle and as it was an expensive model, he believed they would have money,” an officer said. The accused was nabbed from Ulhasnagar on Sunday afternoon and will be presented before a court on Monday, officials said. “The investigation is still in progress. We are investigating if he had accomplices. We are yet to ascertain where he got a pistol from,” said a senior officer. According to sources, the 30-year-old driver sometimes ferried people between Ambernath and Chinchpada and was familiar with the road. The Titwala police station and the Thane Rural Crime Branch are both investigating the case. “We had more than four teams looking for the accused. His sketch helped in identifying him, along with other technical evidence,” said an officer investigating the case. Meanwhile, the Titwala police have urged other couples to come forward if they have been in similar situations. “In course of our investigation, we were told by local residents that since the area is frequented by couples looking for privacy, several drunkards and other anti-social elements harass them. These couples don’t lodge a complaint because they don’t want their identities revealed. But if these people approach us with their complaints, we shall ensure that their names are kept confidential. Their complaints can help us manage the law and order better,” said a senior officer from Thane rural police. For all the latest Mumbai News, download Indian Express App

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