Charges framed in Tanasha murder case

MUMBAI: Six year after the murder of Chhota Rajan’s aide – underworld gangster Farid Tanasha – a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court framed charges of murder and conspiracy against 11 accused on Monday.

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Tanasha was gunned down on June 3, 2010 at his Chembur residence. Special public prosecutor Raja Thakre said he was killed at builder Dattatrya Bhakare’s behest as Tanasha had interfered in a project he was developing.

The prosecution said Bhakare was aided by Bharat Nepali and Vijay Shetty, to whom he paid Rs 90 lakh.

The prosecution said the conspiracy against Tanasha was excuted by Jafar Razialam Khan alias Abbas, Mohommed, Sakib Sahanawaz Alam Khan, Raviprakash Ramshiromani Sinh alias Twinkle and Pankaj Nanhku Sinh, Randhir Ashok Sinh alias Nikhil.

The prosecution said the other accused – Mohd. Rafik Abdul Samad Shaikh alias Shankar, Ravindra Sitaram Varerkar, Vishwanath Maranna Shetty, Rajendra Rohidas Chavan and Dinesh Bhawarlal Bhandari alias Lalji – were part of the conspiracy and that there was proof that money was transferred from Bhakare to others.

The j udge V V Patil had accepted the charges sought by the prosecution last week, saying “Indisputably, Farid Tanasha’s death is a homicide. Whether the accused are the authors of his death, can only be decided at the end of a trial. Therefore, the charge for an offence punishable under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code needs to be framed against all the accused.”

The court agreed to charge all the accused with the conspiracy of the murder. It said there was sufficient material against all to proceed with the trial.