Mumbai diamond merchant murder may have been a honey trap gone wrong, say police

Ten days after Rajeshwar Udani, the 57-year-old Ghatkopar diamond merchant went missing, his body was found in the bushes in a hilly area close to Dehrang dam in Panvel on Thursday, under mysterious circumstances.

The murder of diamantaire Rajeshwar Udani may be a case of honeytrap gone wrong as new details emerged after the questioning of arrested politician Sachin Pawar and suspended police constable Dinesh Pawar.

Police are questioning a politician Sachin Pawar and a suspended constable Dinesh Pawar in connection with the killing of Mumbai diamond merchant Rajeshwar Udani (in photo). (HT Photo)

Ten days after the 57-year-old Ghatkopar diamond merchant went missing, his body was found in the bushes in a hilly area close to Dehrang dam in Panvel on Thursday, under mysterious circumstances.

Udani, a resident of Mahalaxmi apartment at Kama lane in Ghatkopar (West), was last seen near Vikhroli traffic police outpost on the eastern express highway (EEH) on the night of November 28.

On Sunday, Sachin was produced before a holiday court, which remanded him in police custody up to December 14. Dinesh, who was arrested on Friday, on charges of raping a woman working in a gymnasium he ran, is already under police custody. The police will seek extension of his custody on Monday.

The probe revealed that six persons including Udani were in the car. Sachin and Dinesh bought a cake at Vikhroli and the police are investigating if it was laced with sedatives. “A woman was present in the car who may have been used as a honeytrap. There are discrepancies in the statement of Sachin and Dinesh and hence we will interrogate them. The case may be of a honeytrap gone wrong or a murder plot hatched, or both,” said a high ranking officer privy to the investigation.

The prosecution while seeking Sachin’s custody told court that he used a car to execute the crime for which he changed number plates. Sachin was in constant touch with various people, including a television actress while he was executing the crime.

The defence argued that the police is making a false story, stating that Sachin and the television actor were friends of Udani.

Sources said that Sachin even accompanied Udani’s son Ronak to police stations while constantly being in touch with police to trace him. Sachin, however, left for Guwahati on December 2 with the television actor which the police found suspicious. Sachin leaving the city four days after the mysterious disappearance of Udani was enough grounds for police to question him.

After it was revealed that Udani was in touch with Sachin and the actor, the police focused their investigation on them.

Sources familiar with the investigation said that Udani may have been murdered for allegedly wooing a television actress who is a close friend of Sachin’s.

Apparently, Sachin was furious that Udani was trying to get close to the actress. The police believe Sachin and Dinesh, who became friends because they worked out in the same gym, were planning to blackmail Udani and ended up killing him after an argument.