The Rabale police arrested three people on Monday for the murder of a civil contractor in Ghansoli last week.
Jayesh Lalchand Patil (37) from Ghansoli, Santosh Rajendra Dora alias Guddu (22) from Odisha, and Devendra Hiraman Mali (22) from Dhule allegedly shot dead Praveen Tayade (35) at point blank range on June 4.
“Mr. Patil had a business rivalry with Tayade. Both supplied construction material and took civil contracts in the area. Lately, Tayade was getting more contracts,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone I, Pankaj Dahane said.
The crime
On June 4, Tayade and his friend Dattatrey Jogdand (35) were heading home on Tayade’s bike from a construction site near Gao Devi temple in Ghansoli. Mr. Dora and Mr. Mali reached there and fired shots at them.
While Mr. Dora hit Tayade from a point blank range, the round shot by Mr. Mali did not hurt anyone. Mr. Jogdand fell on the road as the bike skidded. Mr. Patil, who was waiting nearby in a car, drove to the spot to pick up his accomplices. He tried to run over Mr. Jogdand, who fractured his hand as a result. The trio fled the spot.
On the run
The next day, the car was found abandoned at Koparkhairane. “The car belonged to Mr. Patil’s brother, but was used by Mr. Patil,” senior police inspector Yogesh Gawade from Rabale police station said.
The accused fled to Thane and then to Kalyan, till they exhausted the money they had with them. The police learnt that they were to come near National Institute of Fashion Technology in Kharghar to get money from someone early on Monday, and laid a trap there.
Nabbed
“When Mr. Patil and Mr. Dora reached there on a bike, we nabbed them. During interrogation, they revealed the name of their third accomplice, following which he too was arrested,” police inspector (crime) Giridhar Gore said.
Mr. Dora and Mr. Mali work as office boys and the police suspect Mr. Patil hired them as contract killers. The police are also investigating who gave them the tip about where to find Tayade and from where they got the firearms. The police have seized the car, the bike, two 7.65 mm pistols, and six live cartridges from the accused. The trio has been remanded in police custody till June 15.
