Builder Vimal Jain arrested in Chunabhatti firing case

Developer Vimal Jain has been arrested for allegedly conspiring and financing the killing of gangster Sumit Yerunkar over a redevelopment project in Mumbai.

MUMBAI: The Chunabhatti police on Thursday arrested developer Vimal Jain, 50, for allegedly conspiring and financing the killing of gangster Sumit Yerunkar alias Pappu in broad daylight, reportedly because he demanded a share in a redevelopment project. The thirteenth person to be arrested in the case, Jain will be produced before a court on Friday.

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Yerunkar was killed on December 24, 2023, in Azad Galli, Chunabhatti by his former associates Sunil Patil alias Sunny, Sagar Sawant, Narendra alias Nanya Patil, and Ashutosh alias Babu Devidas Gavand. The accused – all of them used to work under Yerunkar in his gang prior to 2016 – fired 21 rounds killing the alleged gangster, injuring his three gang members and an eight-year-old girl who was playing nearby.

During investigation, police learnt that Jain, the owner of Hiya Developers, was redeveloping the Patil Galli area in Chunabhatti, where Sunny Patil resides; he had also made Patil the promotor of the redevelopment project.

“Yerunkar was threatening Jain and demanding benefits in the project on par with Sunny Patil. But the builder did not want to give him anything and conspired with Patil to eliminate him,” said a senior police officer who is part of the probe.

After Yerunkar and the other accused were acquitted by a special MCOCA court in September 2023, he discovered that Sunny Patil had acquired firm hold over the area and all gang members were working under him. He had frequent spats with Patil, including on the day he was murdered, as he tried to regain control over the area and secure various contracts, said police officials.