Mumbai Mira Road Murder: Accused Is HIV+ Infected, Never Had Physical Relationship With His Partner

Manoj Ramesh Sane, who has been sent to judicial custody by a Thane court on Friday in connection with the murder of his live-in partner, has reportedly told the investigating officers that he is HIV positive and never had a physical relationship with the victim, Indian Express reported.

"During preliminary inquiry, Sane told police that in 2008 he discovered that he was HIV positive. Since then, he has been on medication. He said that he suspects he contracted the disease due to use of infected blood during his treatment a long time ago, after he had met with an accident," the daily quoted a senior official as saying.

The officer has also said that the 56-year-old murder accused revealed that the victim identified as Saraswati Vaidya, suspected him of being unfaithful whenever he came home late and she was very possessive about him. Also, Sane has claimed that she wanted to appear for Class 10 SSC exams and he was helping her out in maths subject.

The cops discovered math equations written on the walls on his flat no. 704 on the seventh floor of the Akashdeep building in Mira Road (East).

It is suspected the murder took place on June 4, but came to light on June 7 after neighbours alerted the cops after foul smell started emanating from his flat.

Going by the earlier reports, Saini, an ITI holder, runs a ration shop which remained shut since May 29.

Not A Murder?

The murder accused has told the cops that he did not kill her and Vaidya died by suicide on June 3. When he came home he saw her body lying on the floor. "He checked her pulse and found her dead. Fearing action against him, Sane he decided to get rid of the body," a senior officer quoted Sane's confession.

The 56-year-old man is accused of killing his live-in partner and chopping and boiling her body parts at his flat in Geeta Nagar area of Mira Road, near Mumbai. He was sent to police custody till June 16 by a court on Thursday as gory details emerged about the horrific crime during the investigation, evoking memories of the last year's Shraddha Walkar case.

Manoj Sane kept the woman's chopped body parts in three buckets in their rented flat, and tried to hide the stench by spraying room freshener, his neighbours told the PTI.

Sane not only boiled body pieces in a pressure cooker and an utensil after cutting them, but also roasted them and put them in a bucket and tub, the FIR filed by the police said.

A case has been registered against Sane under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence). However, the motive behind the act is unclear.