The Naupada police retrieved the body of a Thane jeweller from Reti Bunder, Kalwa creek, on Friday. The 40-year-old victim had gone missing on August 14. A case of murder has been registered and investigation is underway. The police suspect that the jeweller was kidnapped and thrown into the creek after being killed. Sources from the Thane police also confirmed that the Naupada police have detained a suspect.
The victim, Bharat Hastimal Jain, was a resident of Neelkant society in Thane West. On August 15, his wife Seema approached the Naupada police station and filed a missing complaint.
The police said they scrutinised the CCTV footage from Jain’s jewellery shop near Charai in Thane and found out that he was kidnapped by three men in a car. Accordingly, a case was registered under section 363 (punishment for kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges were changed to murder (section 302 of the IPC) after the body was found.
Senior police inspector Ravindra Kshirsagar confirmed the murder case and said two teams have been formed for the probe. The police are trying to ascertain if Jain was killed over money, personal rivalry or an issue pertaining to saving/investment groups.
