In shocking news, the 25-year-old stalker stabbed a 20-year-old girl to death on Eastern Express Highway in Mumbai because he demanded an answer to his proposal. The deceased, identified as Prachi Zade was killed in a broad daylight. Prachi Zade was initially followed by Akash Pawar before he approached her on the road and then stabbed her. It is learnt that Prachi Zade’s family had lodged a complaint on Akash Pawar earlier this year claiming he was stalking her.
Prachi Zade who is a Thane resident was on her way to the office on her two-wheeler. All of a sudden, Akash Pawar stopped her vehicle in EEH, near the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Thane. Investigations threw light that Pawar pulled Prachi Zade off her scooter, abused her and forcefully asked an answer to his “proposal”. He was heard saying her that is she wasn’t going to be ‘his’, he wouldn’t allow her to be with anybody else.
After hearing this, Pawar stabbed Zade multiple times and escaped the spot immediately leaving Prachi Zade bleeding heavily on the roadside. While escaping from the spot, Pawar was injured when he inadvertently stepped in front of a moving bus. However, the onlookers saw him board an autorickshaw after this accident. He was later arrested from his friend’s house.
Two eyewitnesses informed police that some onlookers captured pictures of Zade on their phones as she was injured badly and no one tried to help her to a hospital. When they were unable to get an autorickshaw or any other vehicle, the two eyewitnesses proceeded towards a beat marshal at Wagle Estate police station for assistance. Then they took the fatally injured Zade to the nearby Criticare Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.
She was then shifted to Thane Civil Hospital. Deputy commissioner of police D Swami said, “We came to know that the girl is dead and we immediately formed a team to nab the accused and found that Pawar is involved in this incident.”
As per the police, Pawar who is a college dropout had been waiting for Zade since 8 am at Kopri Bridge. After she left her home at 10:50 am, Pawar followed Zade on his two-wheeler for roughly a kilometre before interrupting her. Swami said, “Pawar was carrying two knives – one in the back seat of his two-wheeler and another in his pocket. Pawar pulled out the knife from his pocket and attacked and stabbed Zade many times.”
The police, however, tracked Pawar, who was hiding in a friend’s house in Bhiwandi at around 2 pm. Pawar has now been put behind the bars under Sections 302 (murder) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code. Prachi Zade’s body was claimed by her family on Saturday.
