Mumbai: 55-yr-old woman killed in Shivaji Park home

In a shocking incident, a 55-year-old Shivaji Park resident was allegedly killed by a carpenter who was renovating her home. The woman's maid found her body in a pool of blood when she went to work yesterday morning.

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Belieza with husband Tom Cardozo

The Shivaji Park police have registered a case of murder and have started searching for the carpenter, who they suspect has also fled with her jewellery and cash. Belieza Cardozo was a resident of Louis Court building in Shivaji Park.

The Louis Court building in Shivaji Park, where Belieza Cardozo was murdered

She lived alone in the four-bedroom flat since her husband Tom Cardozo, a Merchant Navy Captain, was on assignment, sailing near the Suez Canal. He has not been informed about the murder yet. Belieza's maid entered the flat with a key that had been provided to her.

She saw her employer's body lying in a pool of blood and informed the cops and other Louis Court residents. Belieza's body was immediately taken to the Hinduja Hospital, where she was declared dead.

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Tom was supposed to return home in December during Christmas. Belieza and Tom have two children, Boris and Tina, who live in London. "Belieza was carrying out some furniture and renovation work at her home. She used to live there all alone," said Ambrose Cardozo, Tom's brother, who reached the spot as soon as he was informed about the murder.

Social person
"Belieza was a very social person. She used to go for morning walks at Shivaji Park and feed stray cats in the area. In the night, she would feed stray dogs," said Nilesh Vaidya, a resident of the same building, who knew Belieza since three decades.

Belieza's sister Beblo, a Kalyan resident, had visited her on Tuesday night and at around 8.30am yesterday, left for Novena at the St Michael's Church in Mahim. "We suspect that the carpenter entered the house for doing the furniture work after Beblo left, and later smashed Belieza's head with the handle of grape hoe," said a police officer from Shivaji Park police station.

Contractor held
"The mason who was working at Belieza's residence came after a while but she did not open the door. He waited for a while and then left. The police managed to pick up the mason but the carpenter who was carrying out work at her house is missing. All the workers have been hired by the residents through a contractor named Sharma, who has been picked up by the cops. He will have some information about the carpenter," said Vaidya.

‘Building has no CCTV'
Preliminary investigations by the police have not revealed what has gone missing from the house, since Belieza's husband and her two children were abroad at the time of the murder. Mahesh Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone V) said, "The handle of the cupboard has been broken but the cupboard is locked.

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We think that the accused could not open the cupboard and might have fled with whatever he found outside. The building was constructed in 1980 and is quite old. It does not have any CCTV cameras, and there is one night watchman. However, we are hopeful that we will crack the case."