SAURABH JOSHI Mumbai

Two days after the 52- yearold office bearer of Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) was found murdered in Dharavi, the sleuths have stated that they are close to crack the case and that the suspicion is on a woman who was earlier employed by the deceased.

In connection with the same, a local Crime Branch unit has detained a person, whereas, team of Dharavi police has left for Uttar Pradesh ( UP), to allegedly trace the whereabouts of the accused woman.

The police were informed after Vasantlal Jhota ( 52) was found brutally murdered at around 10: 30am on Monday, with his throat slit and stab wounds over his body. During the course of investigation, police found out that Jhotas murder was due to personal reasons. A senior police officer said, " A former woman employee of Jhota is likely to have connection with the murder.

We are in the process of tracing her whereabouts and have identified her as a Antop Hill resident, who fled to UP following the incident." Meanwhile, crime branch sleuths have also detained a person, who is allegedly known to the woman. He is also from Antop Hill and is being interrogated about his involvement in the case. The officers are, however tight lipped about the developments.

Jhota, who was secretary for Dharavi Grain Dealers'Association, was found dead in the office located in Priyadarshini building in Dharavi. The

sleuths said his body was found after Deepti, his clerk arrived at the office on Monday morning.

The investigation has also revealed that Jhota had come to the Dharavi office on Sunday morning, with a bottle of vodka and had also called Poonam there. People last saw him alive then and they stated that he would generally not come to office on Sunday.

Poonam also went missing following the meeting.

The senior officer further added, " Her fleeing the city is suspicious and hence she is our prime suspect.

Meanwhile, it was also found that Jhota would meet several woman frequently." He is now survived by wife, a son and a daughter.

CRIME FILES