Confirmed: Kalachowkie woman killed mum before chopping her

The mother-daughter duo lived at Ibrahim Kasam chawl at Lalbaug. Pic/Ajinkya Sawant

The Kalachowkie police, who are probing the death of Lalbaug resident Veena Jain, have filed a charge sheet in the case, booking the 55-year-old's daughter Rimple Jain for her murder. While autopsy had found evidence of strangulation, the forensic examination has revealed that she died of head injury, which cops said was caused by a paver block and hammer.

According to cops, Rimple smashed her mother's head with a paver block and a hammer, to ensure she dies. The 24-year-old accused then chopped her mother's body, they said. The Kalachowkie police filed the 350-page charge sheet.

The police recovered Veena's fully decomposed body parts on March 14. Based on evidence - two marble cutters, a sickle, a hammer, knives and a paver block - collected at the time, police had filed a murder case against Rimple. But, she had claimed that Veena fell down from the first floor of the building while going to the toilet on December 27, 2022, and died. She chopped her body for disposal, as she feared being blamed for her death, Rimple had claimed.

Rimple Jain, the accused daughter

The post-mortem report had indicated that Veena didn't die after the fall. It also indicated multiple fractures in the ribs and a neck bone which usually occurs during strangulation. The final opinion sent by forensic experts of KEM hospital has established that Veena died from head injury caused by a heavy object, said sources.

The cops had grilled Rimple's friends, too, suspecting their role in the murder. But, they did not find anything against them. Instead, the "statements of two boys, who worked at the Chinese eatery, had clarified that Veena did not sustain head injuries from the fall, as she landed on garbage. When she was taken home, she was alright and communicating. But after that day, she disappeared, indicating that it was Rimple who had harmed her," said an officer.

"However, we have enough evidence to prove the murder, including the paver block that has bloodstains, statements of neighbours and Veena's brother who mentioned that Rimple used to beat her mother regularly for petty reasons. The chemical analysis by forensic experts confirmed that the head injuries are ante-mortem [caused before death], and that combination of head injury and strangulation led to Veena Jain's death," a senior officer said. The Kalachowkie police have booked Rimple under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the IPC, and relevant sections of The Arms Act.

Confident of acquittal

On Friday, when the charge sheet was filed at Mazgaon court, Rimple was called to the courtroom where she reiterated her innocence and said she will be acquitted.