E-Paper
Mumbai diamond merchant’s murder: Honeytrap given SIM, phone by key accused
The police further learnt that the car in which Udani was allegedly killed, was borrowed for the crime and that another accused Dinesh Pawar, 29, used a duplicate number plate on it.
The Pant Nagar police in Ghatkopar, who are investigating the murder of 57-year-old diamond merchant Rajeshwar Udani, have learnt that Nikhat Mohammed Umar Khan, 20, allegedly used as the honeytrap, had received a mobile phone and a SIM card from political party worker Sachin Pawar – the prime accused in the case.
A police officer told HT, “Nikhat made calls to Udani and asked him to meet her at the eastern express highway (EEH), where the diamond merchant left his chauffeur-driven car and sat in the one in which he was allegedly killed. We also learnt that the accused would make calls through WhatsApp to communicate with each other and also with the victim. ”
On Friday, a local court remanded Sachin in police custody till December 18.
The police further learnt that the car in which Udani was allegedly killed, was borrowed for the crime and that another accused Dinesh Pawar, 29, used a duplicate number plate on it.
“Dinesh had taken the car used from his friend, on the pretext of taking it out of the city for some work,” said the officer.
The probe further revealed that Dinesh, along with Mahesh Prabhakar Bhoir, 31, and Siddhesh Shankar Patil, 23, had used three masks and an equal number of gloves for the crime.
“Sachin had also asked two boys to ride a bike ahead of the car, to show directions towards Panvel, to those inside the car. We have seized the bike and are probing if the boys knew about the conspiracy,” said the officer.
On November 28, Udani had left from Vikhroli. He asked his driver to stop at the EEH and got into another car parked 70 metres away. On December 4, his body was found in the bushes near the Dehrang dam, Panvel.
According to police, Sachin owed Udani a substantial amount, which the latter had asked him to return. Sachin was also upset at the diamond merchant because the latter had allegedly behaved badly with his friend, a TV actor, police said.
