Navi Mumbai Crime Branch Solves Blind Murder Case In 24 Hours; Scrap Dealer Arrested For Allegedly Killing Colleague In CBD Belapur

Navi Mumbai, July 20, 2026: The Navi Mumbai Crime Branch Unit-II has cracked the sensational murder of a 25-year-old scrap dealer within 24 hours, arresting the accused from Bhiwandi despite having no eyewitnesses and initially no clue about the identities of either the victim or the assailant.

The accused, Mohammad Irfan Ansari (35), was arrested for allegedly beating Salman Anwar Shaikh (25), a resident of Govandi, to death with a bamboo stick following a heated argument on a footpath in Sector 15, CBD Belapur, in the early hours of Thursday.

Police said both the victim and the accused worked as scrap dealers and had been staying in an abandoned building in CBD Belapur. Preliminary investigation revealed that Salman was addicted to narcotic substances and would often become aggressive after consuming drugs.

Argument Turns Fatal

According to investigators, at around 1 am on Thursday, Salman allegedly picked up a quarrel with Irfan over a trivial issue while under the influence of narcotics and assaulted him. In retaliation, Irfan allegedly struck Salman repeatedly on the head and body with a bamboo stick, leaving him critically injured. Salman collapsed at the spot and succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards. The accused then fled the scene after switching off his mobile phone.

An FIR was registered by the NRI Coastal Police against an unknown person under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. With no eyewitnesses and both the deceased and the accused initially unidentified, Crime Branch Unit-II simultaneously launched a parallel investigation.

Crime Branch Cracks Case

A team led by Senior Police Inspector Anil Patil, Assistant Police Inspector Abhijit Patil and Police Sub-Inspector Sanjay Pawar painstakingly analysed CCTV footage, carried out technical surveillance and gathered local intelligence to first establish the identity of the deceased before tracing the accused's movements. The investigation led police to Bhiwandi, where a trap was laid and Irfan Ansari was arrested.

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"The case was particularly challenging as there were no eyewitnesses and the identities of both the victim and the accused were initially unknown. Through meticulous analysis of CCTV footage, technical inputs and field intelligence, our team was able to identify the victim, trace the accused and arrest him within 24 hours," a Crime Branch officer said.

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