Mira road murder: Manoj Sane, Saraswati Vaidya were married, hid it because of age gap, say cops

In another twist to the alleged murder of 32-year-old Saraswati Vaidya by her live-in partner Manoj Sane in Maharashtra's Thane district, the police revealed that the two were married, and had informed her sisters about it.

DCP Jayant Bajbale said 56-year-old Sane married Vaidya in a temple, but they hid the marriage from others because of their age difference.

He said statements of her sisters are being recorded and a DNA test will be conducted. "(Her) sisters were in constant touch with Saraswati, therefore their statements are very important. After forensic examination, body parts will be handed over to sisters for last rites," DCP Bajbale said.

Vaidya used to tell people that the accused was her maternal uncle.

Meanwhile, during the interrogation, Sane told the police that he was HIV-positive and never had physical relationship with Vaidya. Sane claimed that Vaidya was like a daughter to him.

She died on the morning of June 3 after consuming poison with foam coming out of her mouth, and fearing that he would be held responsible for her death, he decided to dispose of the body, Sane allegedly told police.

It is suspected that Vaidya died on June 4, but the death came to light on June 7 when the couple's neighbours, unable to tolerate the stench coming out of the flat, called police.

According to the FIR registered by the police, Sane not only boiled body pieces in a pressure cooker and an utensil after cutting them with a saw, but also roasted them and put them in a bucket and tub.

Sane told the police that he was planning to take his life after disposing of Vaidya's body parts.

Sane, who worked at a ration shop, kept the woman's chopped body parts in three buckets in their rented flat in Mira Road (East), a suburb of Mumbai, and tried to hide the stench by spraying room freshener.