Police make fifth arrest in builder murder case

The police have arrested one more person in connection with the murder of builder Savji Manjeri at Nerul on March 15

The police have arrested one more person in connection with the murder of builder Savji Manjeri at Nerul on March 15. The fifth arrested accused has been identified as Kherwadi resident Rafeeq Ahmad, 40, who worked as a welder in Bandra.

Police make fifth arrest in builder murder case

Ahmad received a ₹25-lakh contract for killing the builder, and planned the execution, a police officer from Nerul police station said. He roped in his associate Rahul, who worked as a mason. Rahul hired three men, including two brothers, from Bihar for the job, the officer added.

Police inspector (crime) Mahesh Patil said Ahmad was arrested in Nerul on Monday. “He was produced before a court which sent him to police custody till April 4. As of now, no criminal record of the accused has been found.”

According to sources, the accused have been not cooperating with the investigators and hence, all of them will be interrogated together.

Preliminary enquiry has found that Mehek Jayrajbhai Nariya, the first accused who was arrested on March 18 in Gujarat, had approached Ahmad with the contract. Rahul then hired Gaurav Kumar Vikas Yadav, who did a recce of the area, and brothers Sonu Kumar Vijendra Yadav, who rode the bike, and the shooter, Kaushal Kumar Vijendra Yadav.

After having lunch at a friend’s house in sector 6, Manjeri was getting into his car when he was shot dead.