According to the police, Piyusha, an SSC pass, stays with her mother Jenny, a widow who works in a hospital at Navagaon in Borivali. “For the past two years, Piyusha had been staying with her boyfriend Joseph, who is a taxi driver at Calangute, Goa. Around a couple of months back, Piyusha met a relative of Joesph’s, Philip Almeida (27), who works with a private company in Dubai and had come to Goa for a visit,” said Senior Police Inspector Krishnaji Gaikwad from the MHB Colony police station. As per the statement given to the police, Piyusha had entered into a relationship with Philip and they had planned to get married.
On Sunday night, both Piyusha and Philip had come to Mumbai to tell Piyusha’s mother about their plans to get married. “On Monday morning, at around 8:30 am, when Piyusha and Philip were at the former’s house, Joseph reached the place and confronted Piyusha. At the time, both Philip and Jenny had stepped out for a while and Piyusha was alone in the house and an argument ensued between the two when she refused to marry him. During the course of the argument, Joesph lost his temper and stabbed Piyusha on her hands and thighs with a knife. When her screams drew the attention of Philip and Jenny who were in a nearby chawl, Philip intervened and tried to wrench the knife from Joseph’s hands and got injured in the process,” said Gaikwad.
An injured Piyusha and Philip were rushed to the Bhagwati Hospital, where they were discharged after basic treatment. “We are still in the process of collecting further information from Piyusha, her mother and Philip about the whole incident. Till then, nothing can be said but we are still trying to collect information which would help us to trace Joseph,” added Police Inspector (Crime) Shrikant Niwatkar from the MHB Colony police station. At the Bhagwati Hospital, Piyusha and her mother refused to comment on the issue. When approached, Philip said, “I do not want to talk about the incident.”