Three people were arrested on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the murder of 65-year-old Arun Tikku at his Oshiwara flat on Saturday.
Three people were arrested on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the murder of 65-year-old Arun Tikku at his Oshiwara flat on Saturday.
The three accused — Vijay Palande (44), Dhanajay Shinde (32) and Manoj Gajkosh — have links with underworld gangster Santosh Shetty and had also worked with him around a year ago in Bangkok.
Palande told the police that he took Arun’s flat on lease on March 15 this year on his wife Nivis Lingensa’s name, a German, after paying Rs5 lakh deposit and a rent Rs30,000 per month. He is the main accused in the crime. Palande let out the flat to his two associates, Shinde and Gajkosh.
Tikku used to live in Delhi. Around four to five years ago he bought three attached flats 101, 102, 103, in Samarth Aangan building in Lokhandwala. His son, Anuj, lives in the flat.
Anuj came to Mumbai around four years ago and has acted in several films. Arun used to shuttle between Mumbai and Delhi. "When Arun came to know that Anuj had given the flat on lease, he came to Mumbai last week and asked Shinde and Gajkosh to leave the house," said Deepak Phatangre, senior police inspector.
"Because Arun had asked the two to vacate the house, Palande planned to kill him," said Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police, crime.
On Saturday around 4pm, Palande took Anuj to Chiplun in Raigad for two days on the pretext of a party. Shinde and Gajkosh entered the flat around 11pm, using duplicate keys to open the door. The duo was armed with knife, hammer, two bags, plastic bags and gloves.
"The accused had planned to chop Arun’s body into pieces, stuff them in bags and dumped them at an isolated place. We are investigating whether they had intention to grab the property," said assistant inspector Sanjeev Gawde. The duo stabbed Arun many times on his stomach and chest. But a 28-year-old man, who resides in the same building, saw Arun crying for help.
"He immediately went to Arun’s flat along with security guard. A man opened the door while another was lying on the bed covered with a sheet. When he saw blood stains on the leg of the man lying on the bed, he informed the police," said police.
By the time the police arrived, both Shinde and Gajkosh had escaped from the bathroom window. The door was locked from inside so the police had to break it open. They found Arun’s body in the bathroom. "Anuj, who was traced near Chiplun, is believed to be unaware about his father’s murder. A police team caught Palande near Chiplun on Monday evening. After his interrogation, Shinde and Gajkosh were arrested from Bandra," said a crime branch officer.
Investigations have revealed that Palande got in touch with Anuj two years ago. Palande is into import-export business. "Palande was trying to open a restaurant in Germany through his wife’s investment. His wife is in Germany," said a police officer.
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