Juhu double murder: Accused planned to steal, not kill

The four accused in the Juhu double-murder case had not planned to kill anyone and only wanted to steal cash and valuables from the house, they said in a statement to the police.

The four accused in the Juhu double-murder case had not planned to kill anyone and only wanted to steal cash and valuables from the house, they said in a statement to the police.

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They further said that the 35-year-old housewife, Kavita Suchak, and her driver, Prakash Bagve, were killed because Suchak reached home five minutes earlier than she was supposed to, just as the accused were in the midst of the robbery.

Kavita Suchak, 35, and her driver Prakash Bagve, 36, were found dead in their Juhu apartment on August 30. The Mumbai police had arrested Suchak’s two Nepali domestic helps along with their two accomplices, in connection to the murders.

The accused said that Kavita Suchak had gone to drop her children to school on August 30, in which time they planned to commit the theft. However, when she returned earlier than expected, the alleged killers were surprised.

"The accused claimed that when Suchak opened the door and found the four men in her house, she raised an alarm. The accused gagged her and hit her on the head with a crowbar," said additional commissioner of police (west region) Vishwas Nagre Patil. Hearing her cries for help Bagve rushed to the house. The accused then tied him up and strangled him.

The gang stole a laptop, three cell phones, jewellery and cash, collectively worth Rs 1.24 lakh. The police have so far have also recovered Rs 80, 000 in cash. Two of the four accused have criminal records, police said.