The Pant Nagar police on Thursday recreated the events leading up to the murder of Rajeshwar Udani, a diamond trader from Ghatkopar who was allegedly murdered in a plot hatched by seven people on November 28.
The police have so far arrested Sachin Pawar, Dinesh Pawar, Pranit Bhoi, Nikhat Khan, Shaista Khan, Mahesh Bhoir and Siddhesh Patil in the case, while an eighth person, who claims to have been unwittingly involved in the murder, is being treated as a witness.
Sources said that on Thursday, Sachin, Dinesh, Mahesh, Pranit and Nikhat were taken in a police vehicle to the Pant Nagar market, where Udani had been picked up in a Hyundai i10 by Pranit and Nikhat.
“The day of the murder, Mahesh, Dinesh and Siddhesh bought a cake in Vikhroli on Sachin’s instructions, after which Sachin left to meet someone in Ghatkopar. The witness followed the car from Ghatkopar to Ghansoli, where Mahesh, Dinesh and Siddhesh were waiting. After they got into the car, the witness informed Sachin the car had reached Ghansoli and left. He had been told to follow the vehicle till Ghansoli in case Udani misbehaved with Nikhat, and only later learned about the murder,” an officer who is part of the investigation said.
The accused smothered Udani to death and discarded his body near Dehrang Dam in Navi Mumbai, after which they left for Murud to lie low. The officer said, “Inquiries have revealed that the accused burned their cell phones on the way. We have recovered the remains from the spot specified by the accused. We also visited the store in Grant Road from where they bought hand gloves and masks, which Dinesh, Mahesh and Siddhesh wore when they boarded the car at Ghansoli.”
The officer said inquiries conducted so far have punched holes in the claims made by the accused that they wanted to take compromising pictures of Udani with Nikhat. The officer said, “The purchase of the gloves and masks days before the murder indicates that the intention was always to kill Udani. We are verifying this further.”