UPI trail leads Ponda cops to killer of B’luru woman

Ponda: Although payments through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) gateways are common in India, one transaction held special significance for the Ponda police — it helped them track down the accused in a blind murder case.A young woman was murdered inside Dharbandora forest on Monday, but for days, the cops had no leads.Eventually, the breakthrough was provided by the woman’s method of payment for bus fare.The victim, Roshani Mosses, 22, a resident of Bengaluru, had paid the fare for the trip aboard a Kadamba Transport Corporation bus from Bengaluru to Dharbandora using the UPI mode.Through the bus ticket found near the body of Mosses, Ponda police got her mobile number.

The call details led police to the alleged accused, Sanjay Kevin M, 22, also from Bengaluru.When police tracked Kevin’s number, it was found operational in Hubballi, Karnataka.“Ponda police formed a team led by police sub-inspector Ashish Velip, which went to Hubballi and nabbed Kevin with the help of local police,” said South Goa superintendent of police Tikam Singh Verma.Mosses and Kevin had been in a relationship for the past five years, police said.

Kevin brought her to Goa, alighted from the bus at Piliem, took her to Pratapnagar’s dense forest area, murdered her, and fled to Hubballi, Verma told the media.Ponda police said Kevin hired a taxi from Usgao and went to Hubballi. After reaching Hubballi he had no money, so he contacted his family to ask for a ride back home.When he was waiting for the ride, Ponda police nabbed him and brought him to Goa. Kevin has confessed to committing the murder, police said. A souring relationship could be the motive, police said. However, no murder weapon was found at the crime scene. Ponda police said because Kevin is in their custody, they could recover the weapon. The accused has been remanded by a Ponda court in seven days of police custody.On Monday morning, Mosses’ body was found in the jungle. Her throat had been slit.