Two arrested for hacking Mumbai businessman to death

The police suspect it is a case of rivalry over real estate dealings between two groups.

A 40-year-old businessman was hacked to death by three men in Ghatkopar (West) on Monday morning.

The victim, Sanjay Dubey, was a Pant Nagar resident. (HT PHOTO)

The Ghatkopar police have arrested two suspects, Vijay Akhade, 37, and Sanjay Patwa, 29, under section 302 (murder) and are on the lookout for a third man, Gopal Nadar, 34.

They suspect it is a case of rivalry over real estate dealings between two groups.

The victim, Sanjay Dubey, was a Pant Nagar resident. Police said there were frequent skirmishes in the area between Dubey’s group and the rival gang.

Akhade has criminal cases registered against him and was at loggerheads with Dubey, who also has several cases against him, including one of attempt to murder and rioting.

Akhade and Patwa have links to the rival group, which had allegedly attacked Dubey’s brother Manojkumar in 2017, said an officer. Police suspect the attack on Dubey on Monday was a fallout of the assault on his brother.

On Monday, at 11.15am, Dubey was sitting near an eatery close to his SUV at Tahir Mosque, near Jalgruti Nagar Metro station, when the three assailants came in an auto and started attacking him with sharp weapons, the police said.

Akhileshkumar Singh, deputy commissioner of police, zone 7, said, “Dubey used to regularly sit near the eatery where he was killed.”

“My brother was doing well in his realty business,” said Manojkumar, adding this was “planned conspiracy to eliminate him”.

Police said Dubey had also filed a right to information (RTI) application regarding illegal constructions and a public interest litigation (PIL) in the high court against a politician.

“Dubey was involved in several property dealings, including a Slum Rehabilitation Project (SRA) in Ghatkopar. He was also affiliated to the youth wing of a right- wing group,” said an officer.