Mumbai: Two arrested for killing 15-year-old Andheri girl

Victim Vanshika Rathod. Pic/Hanif Patel

A week after the body of a teenage girl was found stuffed in a suitcase dumped along the road in the Waliv area, the police probing the crime nabbed two men from Gujarat.

The Waliv Police arrested two persons for allegedly killing a 15-year-old girl on August 26. After killing, 15-year-old Vanshika Rathod, an Andheri resident, both the accused fled to Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh border and were hiding in Palanpur city.

Both the accused were identified as Santosh Makwana (21) and Vishal Anbhavne (21), both residents of Juhu and Nirmal Nagar in Khar respectively. Police said that one of the accused, Santosh Makwana, was earlier nabbed by the victim's mother, Bhavna, and brought to Andheri police station for allegedly stalking the minor for days.

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According to the police officials, the incident took place on August 25 when Vanshika Rathod left for her school in the morning but didn't return back to home. Later, Vanshika's mother Bhavna filed a missing complaint at the Andheri police station. However, on August 26, Vanshika's body was found in a travel bag near the Waliv area in Vasai East. Police found 14-15 knife injury marks on Vanshika's body.

During the investigation, the police checked CCTV cameras from the area and found two youths carrying the bag in which the body was found. The police found that both accused killed Vanshika Rathod and later stuffed her body into a travel bag and threw the bag in the Waliv area.

The police said that after the incident both accused fled to Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh border and were hiding in Palanpur city. Both the accused were arrested by the Waliv Police and Crime Branch team on Friday night.