Navi Mumbai: After a week of manhunt, the Rasayani police have arrested the accused man wanted for the suicide abetment of a 32-year-old woman and her two kids, who had jumped to their deaths from their 11th-floor apartment in Hiranandani Fortune City complex on the night of Nov 2, after being threatened for recovery of a Rs 2 lakh loan they had given to her husband.
His spouse Akshara (29), who is also an accused, is being traced. The deceased were identified as Manasi Popete, her son Rudra (11) and daughter Hansika (6). An FIR was registered against the accused Desai couple for the offence of suicide abetment, house trespass, criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace and joint criminal liability after the deceased woman’s husband Machindra Popete (42), a real estate agent, lodged a police complaint. Popete had alleged that the Desai couple had been threatening him on the phone as he had not repaid a Rs 2 lakh personal loan that he owed them. The accused Desai couple had gone to Popete’s rented apartment in Minarva society in Hiranandani Fortune City complex at Bhokarpada, Panvel taluka on Nov 2 around 8.45 pm, when he was not at home.
Hence, unable to bear the mental stress due to harassment for recovery of the loan, Manasi, along with her two kids, ended their lives, alleged the complainant Machindra Popete. The arrested accused has been identified as Vishwanath Desai. They reside in Pune and are natives of Solapur. Three days ago, the police had seized the SUV of the accused Vishwanath Desai from Mumbai and had been relentlessly searching for him and his spouse. The complainant provided to the police the mobile voice call recording of threats received from the accused. They had forcibly entered his apartment by compelling his wife Manasi Popete to open the door by kicking and banging on the door and then threatened her in the presence of the kids.