Mumbai: Senior citizen’s ‘killer’ needed cash to repay loan taken for ill dad

Kalyan: Four days after a senior citizen from Kalyan was found murdered at her residence, a conservancy worker on contract with Kalyan-Dombivli municipality has been arrested for the crime. The police said that the accused, Vijendra Thackeray alias Vasu (35), planned to rob the woman as he needed to repay loans he had taken for his father’s medical treatment.
On February 28, the body of Hansaben Thakkar (71) was found with the throat slit. She lived alone. Things around the house were found in order, leading the police to conclude that the killer was known to her.
Thackeray, whose father had undergone surgery, had borrowed money for his father’s treatment. The father of two was unable to repay Rs 1.5 lakh, said assistant commissioner of police Anil Powar.
Thackeray, who was part of a conservancy team that picks up garbage from residential localities, had come in contact with Thakkar. “He learnt that she lived alone,” said additional commissioner of police Dattatrey Karale.
Karale added that before robbing Thakkar, Thackeray had visited her place over five or six days. On the evening of February 28, he went over to the house. As Thakkar knew him, she let him in. “He demanded she give him money, and she refused. That is when he killed her,” said Karale.
He failed to find any valuables in the house as Thakkar used to keep them at the house of her two daughters.