Investigations into the March 15 murder of a builder in Nerul found that the primary accused, who is still on the run, sought to exact retribution for alleged 'harassment' by 'lower caste' individuals hired by the deceased, Savji Manjeri, 56.
An officer from Nerul police station told Hindustan Times that each time Manjeri had to harass someone from the Mor community, he would hire men to do the job. A few months ago, one of those men had assaulted the main accused, Haribhai Gelabhai Mor.
Modus operandi
According to the investigations, Mor employed Kherwadi resident Rafeeq Ahmad, 40, who was the key architect of the murder. Ahmad also employed one Rahul to carry out the scheme. Rahul then employed two brothers, Kaushal Kumar Vijendra Yadav, 18, and Sonu Kumar Vijendra Yadav, 23.
Sonu Kumar rode the motorbike used in the murder while Kaushal Kumar was the gunman. Gaurav Kumar Vikas Yadav, 24, undertook a reconnaissance of Nerul Sector 6.
After the incident, the Navi Mumbai police formed multiple teams and launched a manhunt for the two assailants. One team was also sent to Kutch in Gujarat for investigation. The deceased builder hailed from Kutch and he used to visit there frequently.
Four arrested
The Navi Mumbai police arrested four persons, including two shooters, in connection with the murder of 56-year-old builder Savji Gokar Manjeri in Nerul on March 15. The police said the reason could be 25-year-old rivalry.
The 54-year-old builder of Emperia Group, Navi Mumbai hailed from the Kutch region of Gujarat and he has a house and office in Belapur. According to police, he used to spend more time in Kutch and used to visit Navi Mumbai. He was one of the partners of Emperia Group. Apart from land issues, now the police are also looking at other angles including personal enmity.
