A 40-year-old man, Vikram Athwal, who had been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of 25-year-old air hostess Rupal Ogrey, was discovered dead in police custody at the Andheri police station in Mumbai during the early hours of this morning, news agency PTI reported citing an official statement on Friday (September 8).
The police disclosed that Vikram Athwal appeared to have taken his own life by hanging himself with a pair of pants used as a makeshift noose within the police station's restroom. It is currently being treated as a suspected case of suicide, according to the report.
The incident unfolded after Rupal Ogrey was found dead with her throat slit in a rented apartment located in the Marol area of Mumbai's suburban Andheri late on Sunday night. Hailing from Chhattisgarh, Ogrey had come to the city in April this year for training with a prominent private airline.
Vikram Athwal, who had been employed as a housekeeper in the residential complex where the victim resided for the past year, was apprehended on Monday on charges of her murder. He had been remanded into police custody until September 8 by a local court.
During the course of the investigation, the police recovered a knife believed to be the murder weapon, along with the clothing Athwal wore at the time of the crime, according to the report. Vikram Athwal, who was married and had two daughters, had reportedly engaged in arguments with Rupal Ogrey over minor disputes, it added further.
As per preliminary findings from the police, Athwal entered Ogrey's flat on the pretext of disposing of a garbage bag and cleaning the toilet, ultimately leading to her tragic demise, the report said.