Five Arrested for Alleged Murder of Dubai Resident in Ghatkopar Flat
Mumbai Police have arrested five people, including a 60-year-old mother-in-law and four members of a domestic worker's family, in connection with the alleged murder of 35-year-old Sapna Pramod Ganji at her residence in Pantnagar, Ghatkopar.
Sapna, who had recently returned to Mumbai from Dubai for a holiday, was found dead on August 16 in her flat at Triveni Apartment. Police have arrested her mother-in-law, Dhanalakshmi Bhikshapati Ganji, alongside former domestic worker Mangalabai Suresh Jadhav (45), her husband Suresh Ganpat Jadhav (46), daughter Shivani Suresh Jadhav (21), and son Sajan Suresh Jadhav (19).
According to the police, Dhanalakshmi allegedly harboured resentment against Sapna following previous disputes. In 2024, Sapna had filed a complaint under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code at Nalasopara police station, as well as a domestic violence complaint in the Vasai civil court, before later reconciling and moving to Dubai with her husband in February 2026.
Investigators allege that Dhanalakshmi planned the killing about a month prior, offering the Jadhav family Rs 3 lakh to execute the crime. On August 16, at around 4.45 pm, the accused allegedly entered the flat while Sapna was alone. They attacked her with a glass, threw chilli powder into her eyes, and strangled her with a dupatta before pressing on her neck.
Dhanalakshmi initially claimed to neighbours and police that Sapna had slipped and fallen in the bathroom. However, police observed bluish marks on the victim's neck and bleeding on the left side of her head. Sapna was taken to a private hospital and later shifted to Rajawadi Hospital, where doctors declared her dead at 12.41 am.
Following a complaint lodged by Sapna's father, Rajendra Narsayya Vallal, police registered a murder case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Dhanalakshmi was arrested on August 17 and remanded to police custody until August 24. The four members of the Jadhav family were arrested on August 18 and remanded to police custody until August 28 as investigators continue examining CCTV footage and technical evidence.
