The Kurar police have arrested seven people in connection with the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sachin Sawant, including a former employee of Sawant’s.
Sawant, a deputy branch head of the Sena, was shot dead near his Malad residence over two weeks ago.
According to police sources, the arrested men have been identified as Lokesh Singh (25), Abhay Patil (26), Satyendra alias Sonu Ramji Pal (24), Nilesh Sharma (27), Brijesh Patel (36), Brijesh Singh (28) and Amit Singh (25). All seven were produced in court on Tuesday. They have been remanded in custody of the Kurar police till May 14.
The police said Brijesh Singh was arrested from Malad, while the others were arrested from Chandauli district in Uttar Pradesh. “The breakthrough in the case came when we picked up Lokesh Singh and Abhay Patil from Chandauli on Monday, after receiving a tip-off about their whereabouts. Two pistols used in the offence were recovered from their possession. Their questioning led us to the rest of the accused, who were subsequently picked up between Monday night and Tuesday morning,” an officer with the Kurar police said.
The feud
Investigating officers said Sawant was part of a committee for the redevelopment of chawls in Kandivali’s Gokul Nagar and Durga Nagar areas. Mr. Patel was allegedly opposed to Sawant’s involvement in the project, and had set up his own office in the area a year ago. “He wanted to gain an upper hand in the project and was trying to get close to the builders for his benefits. Mr. Sharma used to be Sawant’s associate, but had severed ties with him seven months ago due to differences over remuneration and because Sawant would frequently humiliate him. Mr. Sharma and Mr. Patel plotted the murder together,” Additional Commissioner of Police (North region) Rajesh Pradhan said.
They enlisted the other five accused, who arranged for weapons and kept a watch on Sawant’s movements in exchange for ₹3 lakh each, the police said. The men were also promised flats in Virar and jobs in the SRA project once it took off, sources said.
“Lokesh Singh and Abhay Patil were the ones who actually pulled the trigger on April 22,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone XII) Vinaykumar Rathod said.
Investigating officers said Mr. Patel became a suspect in the case due to his rivalry with Sawant, and Mr. Sharma came under suspicion when the police found that he had been in constant touch with the former.
“We analysed their call detail records and identified the numbers with which they had been in frequent touch in the days leading up to the murder. The cellular locations of these numbers placed them in the same area as Sawant on the day of the murder, and we identified and traced them using local informants and cellular mapping,” an officer said.
