Vandana Dwivedi, aged 26 and employed at Infosys in Pune, was fatally shot in a hotel room situated in Hinjewadi.
Despite the arrest of Vandana Dwivedi’s long-time boyfriend, Rishabh Nigam, 30, after her fatal shooting at a Hinjewadi hotel, a hotel staffer mentioned there were no suspicious behaviors from the couple. However, the police believe the murder was premeditated. Rishabh Nigam was apprehended by the Navi Mumbai police shortly after the incident, along with the alleged murder weapon used to shoot Vandana in the head. According to a hotel staff member, Rishabh checked in on January 25th, providing his Aadhaar for documentation, while Vandana arrived on January 26th. The police requested access to the room on Sunday morning, where they discovered Vandana’s body.
When asked if they had heard any gunshots, the hotel staff mentioned that there was a lot of noise from loudspeakers in the vicinity during the night when the shooting allegedly occurred.
The staff member also mentioned not witnessing the accused leaving the premises. “I personally didn’t see him. If any other staff member did, I’m unaware of it. We didn’t notice anything suspicious when they were here.”
A police officer stated that they discovered a helmet, a packet of biscuits, a bar of dark chocolate, and some clothing on the table in the room. Vandana was found on the floor between the table and the bed, the officer added.
“His possession of a gun in the room and the manner in which he exited suggest premeditation,” another officer commented.
Footage retrieved from a third-floor CCTV camera at the hotel captures a man calmly exiting room number 306, minutes before 10 p.m. on January 27th (Saturday), allegedly after the murder, and closing the door behind him.
Authorities indicated that the investigation indicates Nigam shot Vandana around 9:30 p.m., left the room, and then took a cab to Mumbai. Following information from the Navi Mumbai police, a team from the Hinjewadi police, under Pimpri-Chinchwad’s jurisdiction, arrived at the hotel. Concurrently, Nigam was detained by Navi Mumbai police along with the gun purportedly used in the shooting, located next to Vandana’s left ear.
“Based on the investigation, it appears the deceased and the accused were in a relationship for the past decade. Both are natives of Lucknow. Vandana relocated to Pune some time ago and was residing in a paying guest accommodation in the Hinjewadi area, while he remained in Lucknow,” stated police officials.
According to a senior officer with the Pimpri-Chinchwad police, the investigation suggests that Nigam believed Vandana had been avoiding him recently. He had allegedly been attacked a couple of times, and Nigam suspected Vandana’s involvement. Additionally, he suspected Vandana of being involved with someone else.
“Initially, it appears that the murder resulted from the strained relationship between the two. The suspect has been apprehended, and further investigation is underway,” stated Deputy Commissioner of Police Bapu Bangar.
Nigam was arrested by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police on Sunday night and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. An officer mentioned that the firearm used by the suspect is not a locally-made one but a specific make of sophisticated firearm. An inquiry is underway to determine how and when he acquired the gun and whether it was obtained legally.
“We are aware that Vandana worked at Infosys, but we are awaiting details of her exact job role. She completed her engineering degree in Lucknow. We currently have limited information about the suspect’s employment status or the family background of either individual,” the officer added.