Murder most foul: Senior citizen's pen nailed killer grandson

The red gel pen used by 67-year-old Saroj Patel to write Gayatri mantra on her notebook proved a vital clue to detect the case.

The senior citizen was killed on Friday when she was alone in her Malad house. When Saroj's grandson was called in for the questioning, the police saw injury marks of the pen on his forearm and chest.

During interrogation, the 17-year-old broke down and confessed to the murder.

On Friday, Saroj opened the door and let in her grandson and his friend. She gave them water and then went to the bedroom and was writing Gayatri mantra on her notepad when the two attacked her.

According to crime branch sources, Saroj used to write Gayatri mantra with a red gel pen. Saroj’s grandson was questioned for an hour. "We saw injury marks on his left forearm and chest. The injury on the chest was deep and red ink was visible on the wounds. After sustained grilling, when we asked him about the injuries, he confessed to the crime," said a crime branch officer, requesting anonymity.

The grandson had cooked up a story to get money from Saroj. "He told us that he  had asked Saroj for money. He had cooked up a story  about a drug dealer demanding Rs3 lakh but Saroj told him that he should tell his father about this," said an investigator.

The police are making a watertight case against the two minors. "We have identified the two shops from where the two had purchased surgical gloves for Rs40 and nylon rope for Rs10. We have also identified the shop where they have sold some of the stolen jewellery. We will record statements of all three shopkeepers," said a crime branch officer.

The gloves and rope are yet to be recovered. The crime branch has handed over the case to the Malad police. "The two claim that they are guilty and blamed their passion for money to drive them to commit the crime," said another police officer. Saroj used to give her grandson Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 a month for his pocket money. Saroj's son Pankaj did not know this.

"He used to spend the money on hookah parlour and playing pool," said a police officer. On Tuesday, the two were remanded in judicial custody for a day. "They were taken to juvenile jail in Dongri. Nobody from the Patel family came to the police station," said Avinash Jadhav, senior inspector.