Rita Rodrigues : “Kanpur jeweler sentenced for 2018 murder”

Conviction of Kanpur-based Jeweller for Murder and Robbery in Mira Road

Mumbai: A Kanpur-based jeweller has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the district and sessions court in Thane for the brutal murder and robbery of a 60-year-old woman in her apartment in Mira Road in 2018. The victim, Rita Rony Rodrigues, was discovered dead in her sixth-floor apartment in Samruddhi Building in the Poonam Garden area of Mira Road on 5th November 2018.

Rodrigues, a real estate agent who lived alone following the passing of her husband, had suffered 12 stab wounds to her throat and stomach, inflicted with a sharp-edged weapon. The accused, Sanjay Rameshchandra Verma alias Sonu, then aged 34, was arrested by the local crime branch unit of the Thane (rural) police for his involvement in the murder and robbery of gold ornaments worn by the deceased woman.

Details of the Investigation

During the investigation, it was revealed that Verma, a former resident of Samruddhi Building, had committed the crime as an act of revenge for what he perceived as humiliation inflicted upon him by the victim. This alleged humiliation occurred when he asked Rodrigues for her car to transport his wife to the hospital. Verma had relocated to Kanpur to manage his family’s gold ornament store.

In addition to the life imprisonment sentence for murder, the court also handed down a 10-year term of rigorous imprisonment after finding Verma guilty of robbery with attempt to cause death. He was fined Rs.5 lakh for the murder charge and Rs.50,000 for the robbery charge. Failure to pay the fines will result in additional time served in jail. Both sentences are to be served concurrently.

It is noteworthy that Verma travelled from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai specifically to seek revenge for the perceived humiliation he experienced. The case was prosecuted with a strong and compelling charge sheet supported by credible evidence, leading to the conviction of the accused.