MUMBAI: A British national was murdered at Malsai village near Roha in Raigad district, 80km from Mumbai. The incident took place on December 11 but has only now come to light.
Stephen Bennett, 40, from Cheltenham, was killed after he allegedly molested a woman from the village. Police have arrested four persons, including the husband and brother-in-law of the woman. Two others are at large.
Those who have been arrested are Ramesh Mane (38), Vithoba Mane (21), Nathuram Mohite (35), and Kashinath Marathe (40). They are in judicial custody. Gajanan Malusure (35) and Ravindra Dalvi (36) are absconding.
Reconstructing the incident, police said that when Ramesh’s wife went to the fields at 5:45am on December 11 to relieve herself Bennett molested her. He later followed her home.
At home, the woman narrated the incident to her relatives. In a fit of rage, they set upon the Englishman, beating him up and strangling him with a sari. They then hanged him from a mango tree.
Police were informed and found the corpse the next day. The post-mortem examination at Mumbai’s JJ Hospital ruled out suicide.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Roha) Madhukar Talpade said the post-mortem found that Bennett had been hit on the head with a wooden log. It also found ligature marks on his neck, indicating strangulation.
