Neighbour arrested for throwing minor from 15th floor in Mumbai

The Byculla police have arrested a woman for throwing her four-and-a-half-year-old neighbour from the fifteen floor of a Mhada building on December 19. The police arrested her after her DNA samples matched with the samples found on the victim’s body. The girl’s mother is a police constable.

According to the police, Rekha Suthar threw the girl, Manvi Ingale, from the common gallery’s window at New Hind Mill colony around 1pm.

The police had registered the case under section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

Two of the girl’s neighbours were brought to the police station on the basis of suspicion. After a preliminary inquiry, however, both were let off. The police did, however, take DNA samples of the two and on Friday, the report confirmed the sample found on the girl’s body matched Suthar’s DNA.

The police said Suthar lost her six-year-old son six months ago was suffering from severe depression. On the day of the murder, her husband had sent her divorce papers.

An officer from Byculla police station, on the condition of anonymity, said, “After Suthar refused to take the divorce papers from the postman, he went to Manvi’s residence. The victim’s father Ashok Ingale then took the papers to Suthar’s residence and scolded her for not receiving the documents despite being at home and that triggered the incident.”

Ten minutes later, Suthar threw Manvi from the 15th floor and went back to her residence.

“The father suspected she was responsible for his daughter’s death because he had seen Suthar entering her residence in a rush while he was looking for his daughter in the common gallery to feed her. But we didn’t have any concrete evidence against her and she never confessed to the crime,” said an officer.

The accused was arrested on Friday. She will be produced in Mazgaon court on Saturday.