Nagpur: Police have arrested Ashish alias Monu Manpiya, the prime accused in the murder of Ashwini alias Rashmi alias Aashi De (29), whose body was recovered from the Kanhan River on Monday morning. Manpiya had allegedly fled after the crime but was later tracked down and arrested.

According to police sources, Aashi De was a known MD (Mephedrone) drug peddler and had multiple criminal cases registered against her. Police said Manpiya also has a criminal background and was previously arrested for possessing an illegal pistol. Investigators believe Manpiya suspected Aashi of tipping off the police in the illegal arms case, which led to strained relations between the two.

Police said Aashi had been repeatedly asking Manpiya to marry her, but he allegedly kept avoiding the issue. Investigators suspect he feared she might implicate him in another criminal case, which is believed to have been one of the motives behind the murder.

On Sunday night, Manpiya allegedly visited Aashi’s residence and the two left together on his moped. They stopped on the Kanhan River bridge, where an argument reportedly broke out. Police suspect that Manpiya assaulted Aashi and threw her into the river before fleeing on the moped. The incident is believed to have occurred around 3 am.

The crime came to light after a railway trackman witnessed a body being thrown into the river and alerted Kanhan Police. As the woman’s identity was initially unknown, police circulated her photograph and identifying details on social media. Later, Aashi’s mother identified the victim and informed investigators that her daughter had left with Manpiya on Sunday night.

CCTV footage from the Kanhan area allegedly showed Aashi and Manpiya riding towards the river bridge at around 2 am, while approximately an hour later, Manpiya was seen returning alone on the same moped.

Based on CCTV evidence and other leads, police launched a manhunt and arrested Ashish alias Monu Manpiya. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact sequence of events and establish the motive behind the murder.