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Musician’s murder: 19-year-old held for helping 2 accused dispose body parts
The city crime branch on Friday night arrested one more person in connection with the murder of Vakola-based 59-year-old musician, Bennett Rebello.
The city crime branch on Friday night arrested one more person in connection with the murder of Vakola-based 59-year-old musician, Bennett Rebello.
According to the police, the accused, Ali Miyan Chaus, 19, a resident of Zari Mari area, Ghatkopar, is allegedly a school friend of the 16-year-old accused in the case. Officers said Chaus, who worked in a pharmaceutical company, allegedly helped the minor and Rebello’s 19-year-old “adopted” daughter in packing and disposing the musician’s body.
“While scanning CCTV camera footage in Vakola, where Rebello lived, we found a third suspect was involved. During questioning, the woman revealed Chaus’s involvement,” said an officer of unit-5 of the crime branch.
Officers said that after Rebello was killed on November 26, the minor accused called Chaus and sought his help to dispose the body. “Chaus worked with a pharmaceutical firm where he used to do pack boxes. He instructed the minor to get bubble wrap and carry bags,” an officer said. The woman and the minor had chopped Rebello’s body into eight parts and Chaus helped them pack the same using bubble wraps. Chaus stayed at Rebello’s house to do the same for a day.
Police said Chaus’s parents died when he was young and his elder brother, Mohammad Ibrahim Chaus, used to take care of him. “Since the past few days there was a change in his body language, but he did not tell me anything, I came to know only after a police team took him in for questioning. On Saturday, the police informed me that they have arrested him in a murder case. I cannot believe that he was involved in such a heinous crime,” Ibrahim said.
The murder came to light on December 2, after a suitcase containing Rebello’s left arm, a right leg, two pants, shirts and a sweater washed up near Mahim Dargah. The 19-year-old and the minor, her boyfriend, arrested on December 7, have confessed to killing Rebello, chopping his body and disposed it in suitcases.
According to the police, the woman had been staying at Rebello’s residence since February 2018 after she came in touch with him through a woman, who used to live there. He allegedly provided for the 19-year-old accused. She told the police she met the minor accused at a temple four months ago and became friends. The minor told the police that he used to visit Rebello’s residence and that the latter knew about their affair and was opposed to it, said an officer.
Police said that two months ago, the minor learnt that Rebello had been allegedly sexually exploiting her. He allegedly kept asking the woman to kill Rebello to “end the exploitation”.
On November 23, they planned to kill Rebello, but did not do it. Later, on November 26, around 6pm, an argument started between the woman and Rebello. She slapped him and the minor also tried to assault him. When Rebello allegedly picked up his guitar to hit the minor, the woman struck him on his head with a bamboo and he fell. She then allegedly stabbed him and sprayed mosquito repellent on his face to ensure he died.
On November 27 evening, they cut Rebello’s body into eight pieces with four knives. They then packed the pieces with Chaus’s help and dumped the same in different locations over three days. On November 29, the accused cleaned the house and disinfected it by burning incense sticks to get rid of the odour of the body.
