Driver gets lifer for killing woman

A 35-year-old driver who had murdered a 50-year-old woman at her Lower Parel residence in 2014 has been convicted by a sessions court and sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday. The convict had stabbed the victim multiple times with a sharp knife.

After murdering Alka Thoravade, the accused Parshuram Kamble (35) fled to Goa where he had no acquaintances and kept a low profile by working as a tea seller on Kolva beach and living in a hut owned by his employer. The Mumbai police crime branch unit II traced the accused two months after the murder. Kamble had changed his entire look to evade the police.

Acting on a tip off received by assistant police inspector Avinash Kavtekar of crime branch unit II, Kamble was nabbed and brought back to the city. “He had told people over there that he’s name is Balu Pawar. He told us the same lie.

But during sustained questioning he broke down,” said Mr Kavtekar. Kamble’s family including his wife is in Agra but after he fled to Goa, he cut off all communication with them.

Alka was a resident of Lower Parel’s BDD chawl no 19, room 75 and Kamble was her neighbour. On April 1 last year around 8.30 pm Kamble trespassed into Thoravade’s home and stabbed her with a knife on her neck, ears, waist and torso. Thoravade was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries.

Alka was running a mess and Kamble used to buy food from her. He had not paid her for the food she sold him and they had fought over this in the past. Alka had confronted Kamble on a few occasions regarding the payment and in anger Kamble decided to kill her.

Police sub-inspector Sachin Shikre, police inspector Rajendra Nikam and senior police inspector Ajay Patankar of NM Joshi Marg had investigated and filed the chargesheet against Kamble.