Rajiv Chandrabhan Lala, 60, the retired Air India employee who killed his 54-year-old wife R Shalinidevi at her Powai home, allegedly forgot his mobile phone and car keys at her home while fleeing after the murder in the early hours of Sunday. This mistake led to his swift arrest, the police said.

Shalinidevi was an advocate and had helped several people fight domestic violence cases. She lived in Aditya Vardhan Society and had separated from Lala in 1997, two years after they got married.