Tiff over tea: Duo held for murdering canteen helper in Bhayandar

Less than 24 hours after they stabbed to death a helper employed at a canteen in Bhayandar, both the assailants have been arrested by the police. The brutal murder was the fallout of petty tiff over the delay in serving tea.

While one of the accused identified as Suraj Rajbhar was taken into custody from Bhayandar hours after the crime, the prime accused Upendra Chouhan was nabbed by personnel attached to the crime branch unit from Dadar railway station as he was preparing to flee the state. The incident was reported from an industrial area in Bhayandar (east). The deceased Sajjad Ali was employed as a helper in the canteen of a rubber component manufacturing unit in Jay Vailankanni Industrial Estate. The canteen is engaged in serving tea and snacks to the labourers and office staff of the company.

Chouhan, who works at the rubber manufacturing unit, picked up a quarrel with Ali over the quality of tea and delay in serving it at around 10:30 pm on Tuesday. The matter reached the supervisor who mediated and reprimanded Chouhan. However, an hour later Ali was stabbed with a knife by Chouhan and his co-worker Suraj Rajbhar near the gate of the industrial estate.

A profusely bleeding Ali was rushed to a private hospital in Mira Road. However, he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at 12:19 am.

“The accused have been remanded to police custody till June 13 after being produced before the court on Wednesday,” said senior police inspector Milind Desai of Navghar police station. An offence under sections 302, 323,504 and 506 of the IPC has been registered in this context at the Navghar police station. Further investigations were on.