2 convicted of aspiring actor’s murder in 2012

Mumbai, May 9

A sessions court on Wednesday convicted two persons of the 2012 murder of budding actor Meenakshi Thapa.

Additional Sessions Judge SG Shette found Amit Jaiswal (36) and his girlfriend, Preeti Surin (26), guilty of murder and kidnapping for ransom. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Thursday.

According to the prosecution, Jaiswal and Surin, both hailing from Uttar Pradesh, befriended Thapa (26) on the sets of ‘Heroine’, directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. Both accused used to work as model coordinators.

Under the impression that she belonged to a rich family, they hatched a conspiracy to abduct her and demand a Rs 15-lakh ransom. They also persuaded the actor, who had moved to Mumbai from Dehradun, to accompany them to UP. Realising that her family could not pay up, they strangulated her. — PTI