MUMBAI: Vikram Athwal, a 40-year-old housekeeping staff who was arrested for allegedly killing a 25-year-old air hostess, early last week in a rented flat in the Marol area of suburban Andheri was found dead in Mumbai police's custody early in the morning today in an apparent suicide. 

According to police officials, the accused was found hanging using a pair of his own pants as a noose inside the toilet of Andheri police station at about 7 a.m. and he was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

The officials said that on Friday morning, Athwal who went to the toilet did not respond to repeated calls, raising suspicion after which the toilet door was broken and he was found hanging from the water pipe in the toilet using his own garment. He was in 3 days of police custody as granted by the Andheri court and was to be produced before the Andheri court today.

The murdered flight attendant who was identified as Rupal Ogrey, was found dead with her throat slit in an apartment in Andheri early last week, she hailed from Chhattisgarh and came to Mumbai in April for training with the airline. 

After their investigation, the police team moved swiftly and within hours zeroed in on Athwal after questioning the staff at the housing society and arrested and also recovered the weapon that he had used in the crime along with his blood-stained uniform which he used to clean up the area after committing the offence.

On his interrogation, the police learnt that Athwal and Ogrey used to often argue over petty issues, and he felt offended by the manner in which she spoke to him. On the day he committed the crime, he entered Ogrey's flat under the pretext of picking up a garbage bag.

As per his admission after gaining entry inside the flat, he locked the door and took out the sharp weapon he was carrying with him but Ogrey resisted and even overpowered him due to which Athwal also received some injury to his head besides some cut marks. Eventually, Athwal held her hair from the backside and slit her throat with the weapon he had bought with him resulting in her death.

After allegedly killing her, Athwal locked the flat, changed his blood-stained clothes and went to his house in Tunga village situated in the Powai area, from where he was later arrested.