Bhayandar: The Thane (rural) police’s crime branch unit plans to slap the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) charges against the quartet for setting ablaze a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit in Kashimira. While the brazen crime is the fallout of a monetary dispute, the prime accused, Kamlesh Mahesh Parekh (41), ensconced himself in Sri Lanka, as he hired local goons from Borivali to inflict the damage.
According to police, the incident was reported from Jayco Chemicals in an industrial area near Dodhia Petrol Pump early on February 10 morning. Five men trespassed and used inflammable chemicals to set the company ablaze. While property worth Rs25 lakh was reduced to ashes, more than 20 onduty workers had a miraculous escape.
Sensing the gravity, SP Dr Shivaji Rathod ordered the crime branch officials to conduct a parallel investigation. With the help of CCTV footages, the team zeroed in on Parekh and his accomplices—Rahul Munnalal Satpute (24), Akshay Yeshwant Chavhan (21) and Luckyraj Daulal Rajput (21).
While one is at large, the sixth accomplice is languishing in jail for robbery, which he committed after the arson. Apart from registering an offence under sections 435, 436, 452 and 120 (b) of the IPC, the crime branch unit is set to invoke the MCOCA against the accused, who have been remanded in custody.
