Man kills labourer over phone squabble

It was a lost cellphone that led to the murder of Ramesh Pawar (21) on Sunday. The Nerul police have arrested Mahendrakumar Bai (36), whom Pawar had accused of taking his cellphone.

It was a lost cellphone that led to the murder of Ramesh Pawar (21) on Sunday.

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The Nerul police have arrested Mahendrakumar Bai (36), whom Pawar had accused of taking his cellphone.

The incident took place at 10 pm in Nerul’s sector 20, where Bai resides and has a tailoring shop.

Inspector H.S. Panchal said: “Pawar, a daily wage worker, had got some clothes stitched at the shop and hence knew Bai.”

“On Sunday, he went to the shop and told Bai he had left his cellphone at the shop. When he asked for it, Bai said he didn’t know anything about it,” Panchal said.

Panchal added: “Heated exchanges ensued between the two. When Pawar refused to back off, an enraged Bai stabbed him on the chest with a tailoring scissor.”

Pawar was taken to NMMC hospital in Vashi, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Bai pulled down the shutter of his shop and sat inside.

Said Panchal, “Following our investigations, we arrested him at 6.30 am. He has confessed to the killing claiming he was frustrated by Pawar’s allegation as he had no clue about the phone.”

Pawar lived alone near Juinagar railway station.

Police are investigating if Pawar had indeed lost his cellphone.

Local sources said Pawar had worked for a couple of days at the shop and had kept his phone there to charge. There was no confirmation though.