Five get life imprisonment in 2012 builder kidnap-murder case

Five accused, including a real estate broker, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping and murdering a builder in Mumbai over a failed land deal. The prime accused died during the trial. The builder was killed after delaying a land purchase, which angered the accused. They set his body on fire and destroyed evidence.

MUMBAI: The Dindoshi sessions court on Wednesday sentenced five accused – a real estate broker and his associates - to life imprisonment for kidnapping and murdering Borivali-based builder Nitin Dhakan, 46, in 2012 over a failed land deal.

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The convicts included Brajesh Mishra, 33, Abhijit Bhosale, 24, Birbal Singh, 37, Haroon Sheikh, 35, and Sachin Chorge, 28. The prosecution of prime accused Gopal Pande was dropped after he died during the pendency of the trial. According to the police, Dhakan, along with his partner, was to buy a plot in Sai Baba Nagar in Borivali for which Pande was the middleman and the builder had paid ₹1.1 lakh in advance. When the two learnt that the plot was a part of a civil dispute, they began delaying the purchase, which irked Pande, who then hatched a conspiracy to kill Dhakan.

On April 26, 2012, Pande asked Nitin and his partner to meet him at a cowshed at Borivali for a meeting. After Dhakan’s partner left, Pande asked Dhakan to accompany him and his associates. During this drive, Pande asked Dhakan to pay ₹1 crore as compensation for the loss he had caused due to the broken deal. However, when Dhakan expressed his inability to pay such a huge amount, Pande got angry and bashed Dhakan in Tungareshwar forest.

When the accused realised that Dhakan was dead, they went to a forest in Manor after purchasing seven litres of petrol and set the body ablaze. Only a half-burnt skull was retrieved from the site. The DNA extracted from the retrieved material matched with the DNA of Dhakan’s mother.

Subsequently, the accused destroyed Dhakan’s SIM card and purchased a new one which they used to call his relatives and informed them that Dhakan met with an accident but was safe. “After the murder, the accused bought new shirts using Dhakan’s debit card as their clothes had been spoiled during the murder,” police said. After this, Pande and another accused went to Dhakan’s house and stole ₹45,000.”

Special public prosecutor Vaibhav Bagade stated that accused Abhijit Bhosale had turned approver but he resiled and hence, was convicted with other accused. He further added that to bring home the guilt of the accused, 29 witnesses were examined.