Mira Road Murder | Tree-cutter, messy kitchen, body parts in buckets: Neighbours recollect a gory crime scene

The smell emanating from Flat No. 704 was unbearable and the accused’s movements seemed suspicious, neighbours of Saraswati Vaidya and Manoj Sane said as one of the worst crimes was reported in Mira Road suburbs of Mumbai.

The couple was mysterious and never mingled with the members of the society.

As the smell started emanating from Monday, the neighbours suspected it to be dead rats or pigeons. However, what emerged on Wednesday night shocked the residents when the police broke open the flat and recovered the dismembered body of Saraswati and later arrested Manoj.

Saraswati (32) and Manoj (56) were sort of recluse and always kept to themselves, said neighbours and other residents of Mira Road in Thane district.

The couple were staying in the rented accommodation for the past three years.

“For a couple of days there was a stench coming out of the flat and it was unbearable,” said Somesh Shrivastava, who lives in the adjacent flat. “In fact, a day ago I told him that a stench was coming out from his flat. He used some deodorant or air freshener and left the home,” he said, adding that this movement seemed suspicious.

Talking about the couple, he said that they were staying there for the past three years, but he hardly saw them outside the flat or mingling with other members of the society.

“We never found them involved in any functions of the society, we don’t know what they did, where they worked,” added Vikas Shrivastava, another neighbour from the opposite flat.

"We never expected that this could happen," he said. "The accused never used to speak to us...he would press the lift button and then go inside his flat." he said adding that the lady also never mixed up with the womenfolk.

When the foul smell became unbearable, the neighbours told the society chairpersons and secretary and other office bearers who in turn informed the real estate agent and the owner. "The door was locked and the man had switched off the mobile phone," he said.

They informed the police which immediately swung into action.

Somesh said that after the police entered the flat, they were stunned to look at the crime scene, and initially found a tree-cutter. “The kitchen was in a mess, there were body parts in the mixer, in buckets and utensils. Because of the stench, it was difficult to stand there,” he said, adding that police later sealed the place. "The only body parts that could be identified were the thighs," said Somesh.

The accused was arrested late in the night when the agent identified him and told the police.

The neighbours said that they did not see any refrigerator in the flat.