BELAGAVI: Family members of deceased Ankita Kanojiya of Nagpur (Maharashtra), who reached Kakati in Belagavi on Wednesday night, have identified her body.
The arrested accused, who allegedly raped and murdered Ankita, have been identified as Nikhilesh Prakash Patil of Nagpur and Akshay Anil Valude, Ambarnath (Thane - Maharashtra).
According to police sources, Ankita was Patil’s childhood friend. Ankita had been working in a call centre in Thane for the last couple of months. Patil had been to Ambarnath to attend a workshop and had stayed at Valude’s room.
When Ankita came to the room to meet Patil, the duo allegedly raped and murdered her. The accused alleged stuffed Ankita’s body in a suitcase and after Nilesh, Nikhilesh Patil’s brother arrived, they planned to go to Goa for a trip. They dumped the suitcase stuffed with Ankita’s body along with other luggage in Nilesh’s car and drove towards Goa. When the car reached Kakati, the duo threw the suitcase under a bridge.
Nilesh Patil, who was unaware about the crime, later came to know about it and informed Thane police.Co-ordinated efforts from the policemen of both the states resulted in solving the crime.