Navi Mumbai, Jul 30 (IANS): In a major breakthrough, the Navi Mumbai Police has managed to track and arrest prime suspect in the gruesome murder of a 22-year-old Belapur girl, from his hideout in Karnataka, an official said here on Tuesday.

The absconder, Dawood M. Shaikh was traced to the Shahapur Hills in Kalaburagi district, said Navi Mumbai Police Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police Amit Kale.

The investigators were hot on the trail of Shaikh after the brutal murder of the girl, Yashashri Shinde, came to light on July 27 when her mutilated body was found in some bushes near the Uran railway station.

The murder assumed political overtones after the Bharatiya Janata Party labelled it as a 'love-jihad' case and demanded stringent against Shaikh, a history-sheeter.

On Monday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader of Opposition in Council Ambadas Danve called on the family of Yashashri Shinde to offer support to the victim's kin and assured them of getting justice for their daughter.

"The SS(UBT) has assured the family that we are with them. We urge the government to track and give the most stringent punishment to the accused," Danve said, accompanied by others like Deputy Leader Kishori Pednekar and Raigad District chief Manohar Bhoir.

Since quite some time, Shaikh was in a relationship with the girl but her family was against it, while the BJP has termed the incident as an instance of "love-jihad".

On July 25 evening, Yashashri left her home in Belapur ostensibly to meet a friend, but failed to return even the next day, after which her family lodged a missing complaint.

Two days later, her body was found in a mutilated state with multiple injuries and stab wounds near Uran station, with the family accusing Shaikh, a driver by profession.

According to police, Shaikh has a previous criminal record, including a 2019 complaint by the deceased girl for molestation, and a crime under the POCSO Act, for which he was out on bail, and is believed to have fled to his native Karnataka.

Highlighting the incidence of growing crimes against women in Navi Mumbai, Danve said that recently a housewife, Akshata Mhatre, 30, was allegedly gang-raped by three temple staffers in Koparkhairne, and her body was dumped in a deep ditch on July 9, and alleged a breakdown of the law-and-order situation in the state.

BJP ex-MP Kirit Somaiya and Uran BJP MLA Mahesh Baldi also visited the victim's family and urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to ensure justice in the matter.