The Thane Rural Police on Wednesday arrested six people who allegedly murdered a restaurateur when he resisted their efforts to burgle his Shahapur home last week.

“On the intervening night of July 18-19, the accused went to Khandoba Gaon in Shahapur and targeted the holiday home of Suresh Nujaje, who owned restaurants in Dubai and Navi Mumbai,” said Sanjay Kumar Patil, additional superintendent of police, Thane Rural Police.

Nujaje was sleeping alone on the floor when the accused entered the bungalow. He woke up and tried to put up a fight, but the accused strangled him to death. They then fled with ₹28,000 in cash, expensive clothes, and the victim’s gold ring, chain, and bracelet. “There were about five to six dogs in the bungalow, but they were lured away by the burglars,” senior police inspector Venkat Andhale said.

The police said Nujaje had come to Mumbai with his wife, and he was due to leave for the Amarnath Yatra on July 20. His wife was in Thane at the time of the murder. Nujaje’s parents live in Mangalore, while his in-laws live in Mulund. The family is in a state of shock, the police said.

The Thane Rural Police and the Shahapur police, under Inspector General of Police Niket Kaushik, formed squads to monitor CCTV footage and collect evidence. Anil Salunkhe (32), the mastermind, Chaman Chavan (25), and Santosh Salunkhe (35) were hiding behind Navjeevan Hospital in Bhiwandi. Their accomplices, Rohit Pimple (19), Babubhai Chavan (18), and Roshan Khare (30), hail from Karmad in Aurangabad district. The accused have been remanded in police custody till July 29.

Mr. Patil said, “The accused used crude tools like screwdrivers, shovels, and sickles. They broke open Nujaje’s kitchen window and entered the bungalow.” The police have seized crude weapons, a Mahindra Bolero, credit cards and a Honda Unicorn worth ₹5 lakh. Mr. Patil said 19 burglaries have been reported in Thane.