Domestic Help Accused Of Killing BJP Activist Arrested

Days after a local woman BJP activist was killed in her flat in Maharashtra, her domestic help has been arrested for the crime, police said Friday.

Rupali Chavan, 36, was found dead in her house in the Nallasopara area of Palghar district on October 9. She was killed two days earlier, the police had said early this week.

A 23-year-old man, Nitin Chape, was arrested Wednesday from Latur, about 430 km from in central Maharashtra, in connection with Ms Chavan's killing, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Nallasopara) Datta Totewad said Friday.

He said the accused was Thursday produced before a local magistrate who remanded him in police custody till October 17.

Nitin Chape had joined as Ms Chavan's house help four months ago, the police officer said.

Ms Chavan, who was planning to open a shop, used to often scold Nitin Chape for not doing his job properly and this annoyed him, Mr Totewad said.

On the day of the killing also, the BJP activist had chided Nitin Chape. Angered over the scolding, Nitin Chape allegedly hit Ms Chavan repeatedly with a hard and blunt object in her flat on Sunday, he said.

He left her to die and escaped from the flat, Totewad said.

The accused knew the PIN of the victim's debit card and withdrew some money after killing her, the police officer said.