Mumbai: After murder, accused helped jeweller’s kin lodge complaint

MUMBAI: A day after Ghatkopar diamond merchant Rajeshwar Udani (57) was murdered, suspect Sachin Pawar, a state minister’s former PA, accompanied the victim’s family to police station on November 28 to lodge a missing person’s complaint, an investigator said. Sachin and suspended constable Dinesh Pawar, who is already in police custody in a rape case, were booked on Saturday for kidnap and murder.
“Sachin told the police he was a ‘family friend’ of Udani. Later, the police registered a kidnapping case after they found his phone last location to Mulund-Airoli bridge,” a police officer said.

After a kidnapping case was registered on December 1, Sachin along with his actressgirlfriend Devoleena Bhattacharjee left the next day for Guwahati, from where he was nabbed on Friday. On December 4, a decomposed body was found in Nere village, Panvel and three days later the family confirmed it was Udani’s body.

Police who had detained Devoleena released her after questioning. “There are reports that Udani was interested in Devoleena and this angered Sachin. We are also probing this angle,” an officer said. Udani and Devoleena had met at a party in 2017.

On Sunday, Sachin was produced before a Bhoiwada holiday court which sent him in police custody till December 14.



Another police source said Sachin’s event management company had undertaken videography for Udani’s daughter’s wedding. Lata Sutar, investigating officer, told the court, “The accused is saying he was not paid for this job and had been demanding his money. He had also sent a message to the deceased saying, ‘I will close this matter’.”

According to a source, Udani was honey-trapped with the help of a bar girl. Police sources said that on November 27 night, Udani went to Vikhroli on Eastern Express Highway, where he was picked up by another car, in which the woman was sitting. “After the car went some distance, three men got in,” an officer said, adding that the three persons, including Dinesh, smothered Udani in the car. “The car passed from Mulund-Airoli toll naka. We have got CCTV footage but the car had fake number plate. We have traced the person who was asked to make the fake number plate,” a source said. The plate-maker had noted down the original and fake number plates. The police found at least 10 cars having number plate of 1111.During investigation, they zeroed in on the accused’s vehicle. Police also found that Sachin and Devoleena were among the last few people who had spoken to Udani.

Advocate Samadhan Sulane, who appeared for the accused, said, “He was not at the spot and has been cooperating with police. He was not hiding too. He is not required for custodial interrogation, so he should be sent to judicial custody.”