Police questioned boyfriend for 10 mins and let him walk away

A 2-page letter by Carol to her boyfriend was found in her room; Zico Misquitta, the alleged killer. Pics/Hanif Patel

Ten days after a 28-year-old woman went missing from Santacruz, her decomposed body was found in Palghar on Thursday. After making rounds of the police station, Carol Pinky Misquitta's mother was able to file a complaint 48 hours later. While she alleged the involvement of Carol's boyfriend, the Mumbai police had let him go after questioning him briefly. Now, the Palghar cops have arrested the boyfriend.

Pinky, who was more popular among friends and family as Carol, went missing on January 24. The Santa Cruz police accepted her widowed mother Catherine's complaint only on January 26, the day the city cops launched the Nirbhaya helpline. The local cops attributed the delay to work for the helpline inauguration.

Zico Misquitta, who apparently left behind the knife in Carol's body

Sources in Palghar police said the alleged killer, Zico Misquitta, 27, had left the knife in Pinky's body after stabbing her in the chest. The weapon was recovered during post-mortem at JJ hospital.

Sources said Carol had reached Palghar with Zico in her Scooty on January 24 night. "Their relationship was turning sour…the couple had a verbal fight near Manor on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway," said an officer in Palghar police.

The letter found in Carol's room after she went missing. Pics/Hanif Patel

"During a heated argument, Zico caught Carol by her neck and strangulated her. After strangulating Carol, he stabbed her. Zico's father runs a catering business in Vile Parle. So, he had picked up a knife with him before accompanying Carol in her Scooty," said the officer.

"After learning that Carol was dead, Zico called his friend Kumar Babu Devendran and the duo disposed of her body in Waghoba ghat in the wee hours of January 25," said the source.

Virar-resident Devendran, 30, is a catering contractor who helps Zico's father in his business to run Phiona Caterers, said the police.

On February 3 evening, a local saw the body of a woman stuck between pipelines. "It was almost decomposed and bitten badly by aquatic animals," said Nita Padvi, sub-divisional police officer, Palghar police, who registered a case of murder.

"We have arrested two men including her boyfriend within two hours after recovering the body. Our investigations are underway," Padvi told mid-day.

Anita Shetty, a social activist who helped Catherine in reaching out to senior officers of Mumbai police, told mid-day, "First, the police were not registering the missing complaint and when it was registered, they did nothing to trace her. We had been telling the police that Carol's boyfriend knows her whereabouts but Zico was allowed to go after 10 minutes. He told police that he broke up with Carol almost a fortnight ago."

"Why to advertise so much about Nirbhaya if you [police] cannot do anything to trace a missing girl?" wondered Shetty.

After the body was recovered, Palghar police checked the details of missing complaints in the state and got in touch with the Santacruz police.

"The Santacruz police took Catherine to Palghar to identify the body. And they had not told her that one body had been recovered and she was being taken there to identify it but the cops told her that her daughter was seen somewhere in a resort in Palghar… The cops told her to switch off her cellphone, don't know for what reason. But Catherine happily followed the cops' instruction and reached Palghar only to see a highly decomposed body in a van," Shetty said.

"Initially, Catherine could not identify the body as it was badly bitten by fish… but later when the body was brought to JJ Hospital for post-mortem, we all identified her with a tattoo of heart and butterflies on her back, a crooked finger of her feet and clothes," she said.

Talking to mid-day, Catherine said, "They had been dating for over five years…he knew that I am a widow and have no one to look after me yet he killed my daughter… he must be hanged… I need justice."

The Palghar police have also recovered Carol's Scooty and her laptop that she carried before leaving the house. "At the time of going out, Carol told her mother that she was going to get her medical tests done in Malad…she also called her mother at 12.20 am on January 25 and said she was coming back soon but then her cellphone was switched off," said Shetty.

After Carol went missing, her mother, relatives and friends began searching her room to see if she had taken some clothes with her.

"During the search she had written a two-page letter to Zico. The letter explains how badly she was disturbed… she wanted to mend her relationship but nothing happened as such….we had also shown the letter to Santa Cruz police but they did nothing," said Shetty.

When asked why Santacruz police failed to identify the alleged killer despite questioning him, senior inspector D Ganore said, "We could not identify him." When asked why Nirbhaya squad team could not trace Carol's whereabouts, Ganore said, "No comments!"

The last rites of Carol were conducted at St. Francis Xavier church in Vile Parle on Friday.

Jan 24
When Carol was last seen

Feb 3
Day Carol's body was found in Palghar

12.30
Time (AM) on Jan 25 when Carol last called her mother