The arrested accused has been identified as Ram Khilawan Mohan Sahu alias Sanjay alias Meru, a resident of Kurla and a native of Jharkhand. According to the police, he has no prior criminal record.

The Crime Branch will hand over the accused to the D N Nagar police for further investigations.

On January 16 this year, a 20-year-old girl was discovered murdered at her rented flat in Sai Dham Society on the Juhu - Versova Link Road. A case of murder was registered at the D N Nagar police station.

“Unit 12 of the Crime Branch received specific information that the murder suspect would be coming to the Dindoshi bus stop, and laid a trap accordingly in which Sahu was arrested. During interrogations, he confessed to the murder,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria.

Sahu had come to Mumbai from Jharkand in June 2007 seeking employment. He started working as a cook for a pimp called Mukesh, said the police, who operated in the Juhu, Santacruz and Versova areas.

“Sahu worked for about five months as Mukesh’s cook, and therefore was acquainted with the deceased and some other call girls. On January 4, he left for his native place in Jharkhand owing to a death in his family, and returned to the city on January 6. He looked for work unsuccessfully, and soon ran out of money,” said Maria.

Knowing where the girl lived, Sahu decided to go to her house and ask her for money. On January 14, he attempted to meet her but was asked to leave.