4 held for murder of Cidco official in Navi Mumbai

It was, allegedly, a demand for more money to regularise an illegal construction on a plot in Kamothe that cost Cidco official Atul Mhatre, 35, his life. The police have arrested four people in the case.

It was, allegedly, a demand for more money to regularise an illegal construction on a plot in Kamothe that cost Cidco official Atul Mhatre, 35, his life. The police have arrested four people in the case.

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Additional commissioner of police Fattehsingh Patil, said, “We zeroed in on Hanuman alias Prem Patil, 24, a real estate agent from Kamothe. We then arrested his friend Nitin Bhoir, 23, of Kharghar, his employee Anand alias Andy Cruz, 27, of Kamothe and driver Kunal Salunkhe, 25, of Chembur.”

Mhatre worked as a clerk in the land and survey department of Cidco and was assigned to Kamothe. He was found murdered on February 10 in Panvel.

Patil said, “Hanuman had approached Mhatre to get an illegal construction regularised on a 400 sqm plot allotted to a project-affected person, Chimne [first name not known], in Kamothe. Hanuman was developing the plot. Mhatre was paid Rs3 lakh for regularisation. Later, Mhatre demanded Rs20 lakh more.”

The accused then returned to Manghar where Mhatre’s car was parked and threw his footwear there to mislead the police.