19-Year-Old Indian-Origin Woman Killed in London, Suspect Arrested

The woman was found with serious injuries to the neck at London's Arbour House student accommodation.

Photo used for representational purposes only.

(Photo: iStock/Dejan Dimic)

A 19-year-old Indian-origin British citizen was found dead on Saturday, 19 March, in her flat in London, the Scotland Yard said on Monday, 21 March, per a report by PTI.

The woman, Sabita Thanwani, was found with serious injuries to the neck at London's Arbour House student accommodation.

A 22-year-old Tunisian man, who was apparently in a relationship with Thanwani, has been arrested on charges of suspicion of murder and assault, the police said.

The police had issued an appeal, looking for the alleged killer, Maher Maaroufe. He was apprehended by officers on Sunday in the same area where Thanwani's body was found on Saturday.

'Post-Mortem in Due Course'

Meanwhile, the police said that although formal identification of the body was pending, a post-mortem would be conducted in due course of time.

Detective chief inspector Linda Bradley, the lead of the investigation, said, "I would like to thank everyone for publicising and sharing our appeal to trace Maaroufe."

Bradley said that Maaroufe had been in a relationship with Thanwani, but he was not a student and had no fixed address.

She had also made an appeal to Maaroufe directly, saying, "I am also appealing, once again, for Maher Maaroufe to attend a police station immediately. Maher – I am making this appeal directly to you: if you see this, please go to the nearest police station. It is important that we speak with you."

Offering her condolences to the family of the deceased, Bradley said, "Sabita's family has been updated with this development and continue to be supported by specially-trained officers. Our deepest condolences are with them. I would ask everyone to respect their privacy at this indescribably devastating time for them as they come to terms with Sabita's murder."

Thanwani was a student in the University of London, and was reported to having been with Maaroufe on Friday, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI.)