Late night on June 4 when he strangulated his 37-year-old live-in partner Sweety Patel to death, little did Ajay Desai realise that the law would eventually take its own course, even if you are a policeman. Desai is a police inspector with Vadodara Rural Police.
On June 5, a missing complaint was lodged by the deceased’s brother after Desai informed him that she had gone missing.
Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Saturday evening said that they had solved the case and that Desai had strangulated Sweety to death and then burnt her remains in a hotel owned by his friend.
Sweety was done to death at their home in Karjan, near Vadodara. According to police, Desai then took the body on the first floor of the building and on the next day wrapped it in a blanket and put in the car. It was then taken to the hotel, owned by his friend. The hotel, located in Atalia village, near Karjan, was not in use.
The police found bones from the place and now DNA, too, matched with that of Sweety and Desai's two-year-old son.
The Crime Branch had taken over the investigation following the intervention of minister of state for home Pradeepsinh Jadeja. The slow pace of investigation by Vadodara Rural Police was drawing flak from various quarters, including the media, and Jadeja was forced to intervene.
Within just few days of taking over investigation, the Crime Branch team found blood stains from the first floor of the building, making strong their theory of foul play.
Among various evidences gathered also included the location of Desai on June 5 in Atalia village. His car was also spotted in the CCTV camera of the toll plaza that he had passed from.
Both Desai and Sweety had divorced their respective spouses. Sources said that they had married in a temple. However, the marriage was not registered.
Sources further said that Sweety and Desai had a quarrel over their “status”. It is also believed that Sweety was objecting to an alleged relationship of Desai with another woman.
Desai had first agreed to a narco test but later refused, thereby vindicating police’s suspicion. Sources said that during hours of interrogation, he would only say that he did not know anything.
Sources said that Desai is already in police custody. Officially, however, his arrest is yet to be registered.
