Ravi Tapadia, 43, was identified by Bhim Ganj SHO Sunil Choudhary after CCTV footage showed him escorting Kamla Devi Kankaria onto a rooftop on Oct. 12.
Tapadia allegedly strangled Devi, seized about 15 tolas of gold jewellery, and set her body on fire, dumping the bones and ashes into the Kothari River near the Paldi culvert.
The victim, a widow who lived alone in Veer Savarkar Nagar, was reported missing by her daughter‑in‑law on Oct. 15, prompting a swift police search.
Surveillance footage also captured Tapadia’s associate, Heera Sindhi, present at the scene, leading to his arrest on the same day.
Using an earthmover, investigators recovered skeletal remains from the river, corroborating the confession and CCTV evidence.
The case will be presented in the Bhim Ganj court next month, with prosecutors poised to file the murder charge against both accused.