Avinash Bali murder case: MIDC police nabs two from Lucknow, one from Nallasopara

Six days after police informer and eye-witness of the infamous Keenan- Reuben murder case Avinash Solanki aka Bali (38) was brutally murdered, the MIDC police have nabbed three accused who are said to be involved in the murder and went absconding after killing Bali.

Those arrested have been identified as Nilesh Shukla (38), Vanshbahadur Singh aka Jagga (48) and Ankit Dubey (19). While Shukla and Singh were nabbed from Lucknow, Dubey was picked up from his Nalasopara residence on Saturday. As reported earlier by DNA, Bali was found murdered and his body was discovered in an objectionable position inside Shukla's shop at MIDC area of Andheri east. Police at that time had identified Shukla as their prime suspect who was also Bali's friend and were on a lookout for him as he too was absconding after the murder. Police sources have also confirmed that Jagga and Dubey who were working as Shukla's driver and bodyguard respectively, indirectly helped Shukla in keeping the murder anonymous and away from police eye and had also helped Shukla in making the necessary evidences of the case disappear.

"Since the shop belonged to Shukla, it naturally made him our prime suspect. Bali and Shukla were often spotted together at the shop and as per our investigation, on the night of August 17, 2018, both were sitting together and had consumed alcohol. Shukla, who later got into a heated argument with Bali over some disputes of financial matters with him got infuriated and thrashed Bali with a hammer and kept on hitting him till he died. After the murder, Shukla along with Jagga fled from spot and headed straight towards Hrishikesh and Haridwar in Uttrakhand after which they drove to Nainital and later were staying in a hotel in Lucknow. As per tip-off received from credible informers, we successfully arrested the duo from Lucknow and bought them to Mumbai." said deputy commissioner of police, Zone X, Navinchandra Reddy.

According to the police, Bali was a police informer and had good contacts in almost all police stations of zone IX and zone X including Amboli, Goregaon, Saki Naka, MIDC, Powai, Meghwadi, Santacruz and D N Nagar. For curbing the nuisance of drug smuggling and tracking down drug peddlers in the vicinity, Solanki helped cops to conduct many operations. He had helped the Narcotics department by providing crucial tip-offs. The police is drilling the trio for tracing the exact reason behind the murder, but preliminary interrogation has revealed that Bali was killed for some financial reasons, other dispute or any personal matter for which Shukla wanted to settle scores with him. Bali was repeatedly hit by a hammer following which he sustained critical injuries on his head and on his private parts. The body was kept under low air conditioned room for two days so that it could not contract infection and do not start decomposing.

"Shukla is basically a dealer of pharmaceutical products and was also involved in import-export of the same. He was also arrested before in narcotics case in 2008 of which Bali had given tip to the police. Jagga had accompanied Shukla when the murder happened and he drove him out of Maharashtra. Dubey who was entrusted to clear the evidence of the was told to switch off the phones and dispose all necessary materials related to the case. He was hiding in his residence and was arrested by the police after Shukla and Jagga revealed his name. We are finding the murder weapon and also the blood-stained shirt, Shukla was wearing. CCTV cameras are being examined and we are interrogating the accused. The court has granted police custody to the trio till September 01. There are many more angles to be investigated in the case and we are trying to link them all and examine closely." Reddy added.