murder representational
[Representational Image]Reuters

A 25-year-old techie beat up his former girlfriend and almost choked her to death in the wee hours of Friday in the office vehicle in which they were returning home in Pune. Khadki Police have filed an FIR against the man who works with an IT firm in Magarpatta.

Zubai Patel, who works as a process associate, was fighting with his former girlfriend over her mobile number. He had asked her for her number, but she refused to give it to him since the two of them had broken up and she did not want to stay in touch with him. This angered Patel who began beating up the woman in the car and tried to open the door and push her out.

The driver got terrified and stopped the car. Patel, then, got out of the car and dragged his ex-girlfriend out of the vehicle by her hair. He punched and kicked her in the stomach and began hitting her. He tried to choke her to death following which she fell unconscious and was then rushed to a hospital, the Pune Mirror reported.

The police said that the two of them were in a relationship for a few years, but then broke up since Patel's family was against the relationship. But Patel wanted to maintain the relationship even if he could not marry her.

Patel, during interrogation, confessed that he wanted to kill her as he was upset that she didn't want to stay in touch with him. According to police, the woman has signed a notarised agreement which states that the two will not stay in a relationship. The police are trying to obtain that document.

Patel's family belongs to Bengaluru, but he was born and brought up in Pune and resides at Pimple Gurav. The woman hails from Dombivali, but has been residing at Pimple Gurav with a roommate.

Patel has been booked under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 354 (whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any woman), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Pune Mirror reported.

API Dilip Salunkhe of Khadki police station said, "The incident occurred around 4 am on Friday near Holkar Bridge, Khadki. The girl was rushed to the hospital after the incident. However, Patel had fled the scene by the time our team arrived at the spot. We then picked him up from his house and presented him in court in the afternoon."

"During the first round of the investigation, he told us that he wanted to kill the girl as he was angry with her. There were two more people in the car other than the driver who have been called for questioning, but they have not come forward yet," he added.