Thane: Rickshaw Driver Held For Property Broker’s Murder Over Land Dispute

The Manpada police on Sunday night arrested a 38-year-old auto-rickshaw driver for the murder of property broker Sanjay Bhoir, whose body was found in the Umberli village area near Dombivli three days ago. The murder, according to police, stemmed from an old property dispute.

Bhoir went missing on June 30 after having dinner with friends near Umberli village. His family reported him missing when he failed to return home and his phone was found switched off. Subsequent searches led to the discovery of his body.

The police formed three teams for the investigation: one analysed CCTV footage, while the other two activated informers. They learned that Bhoir had a forest land dispute with accused Vikas Patil, a local villager.

Senior Police Inspector Vijay Kabdane said, “Patil, during interrogation, admitted to attacking Bhoir with an axe with the help of his friend due to a year-old land dispute that was pending in civil court”.

Patil feared Bhoir would kill him, leading to the fatal attack. The weapon has not yet been recovered. Patil has been charged under Section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code. He was produced in Kalyan court and remanded into police custody until June 6. The police have launched a manhunt for Patil’s accomplice.