Mumbai: The city crime branch has arrested five persons, including brother of late matka king Suresh Bhagat, for allegedly conspiring to kill the latter's wife. The accused had planned to bump off Jaya Chheda, wife of Suresh. and her sister. According to the police, Suresh's brother Vinod, 69, allegedly gave supari of Rs 60 lakh to a person named Mamu from United Kingdom bump off the sisters.
Suresh was killed in 2008 in a road accident on Alibaug-Pen road after a truck collided their car. The investigation revealed that the accident was orchestrated by his wife and son. She was convicted in the case in 2013. "We suspects that the plot was hatched to avenge the killing of Suresh Bhagat or it could be fallout of business rivalry, " said Milind Bharambe Joint Commissioner of Police (crime).
According to the police, Nandakumar Gopale, senior inspector of crime branch unit 9, received a tip-off that two person from Uttar Pradesh had come to the city in order to kill a woman. As per the tip-off, the accused would come near Khardanda in Khar. Accordingly a trap was laid and nabbed Mohammad Anwar Darji, 31 a resident of Virar.
The crime branch team has recovered two country-made pistols, six live cartridges and Jaya and her sister's photograph from him. He told the police that a person named Mamu who is in Manchester, United Kingdom, promised him Rs 60 lakh to kill the two. "It was also revealed that the accused had received information about the area in Ghatkopar where their target lives, taken some photographs and videos and forwarded them to the conspirators, " added Bharambe.
The crime branch team then left for UP and arrested Mohmmad Javed Ansari, 41, and Maqsood Qureshi, 35, from Bijnor. Analysis of their call data record revealed that Mamu allegedly gave contract to kill the two at the behest of Vinod. As soon as Vinod's involvement was surfaced, he was picked from from his Walkeshwar residence in Malabar Hill. One Ramvir Sharma, 39, was also picked up from Bijnor, who allegedly arranged the shooters for the job and supplied weapons, said a crime branch officer.
"We have arrested the accused under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section of abetment of offence (115) read with murder (302) and criminal conspiracy (120 b) along with sections of Arms act.
All the accused, including Mamu who was wanted in the case, have criminal cases registered against them, said Gopale.
