Bhandup family was well-off, did not have lavish lifestyle

“The Jains were one of the first few occupants in the building and had lived here since the beginning. We moved in two years ago,” said a neighbour who was close to the family, speaking on condition of anonymity, like the others in the building, reports Rachna Pratihar.

“The Jains were one of the first few occupants in the building and had lived here since the beginning. We moved in two years ago,” said a neighbour who was close to the family, speaking on condition of anonymity, like the others in the building.

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The family was from a village near Udaipur in Rajasthan, and had lived on the third floor at Jalaram Park for around five years. They owned five shops and were financially well off. “They owned a provision store near their house and a hardware shop near Sonapur junction, Bhandup. The other three shops were rented out — two on the ground floor of the apartment, the third functioned as an ATM,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police, Deepak Gajool.

Dinesh ran the provision store with his father, Lalchand, and brother, Jayantilal. “Their business was doing so well they were finding it difficult to cater to demand. They had two employees to attend to customers, and were planning to hire more,” the neighbour added.

The family being as large as it was, they found their one bedroom flat too small. “Dinesh was in talks with people in the apartment to buy a new flat in the same complex as they wanted to live together,” said a resident on the second floor, adding that the family was negotiating for a flat on that floor.

“Their monthly provisions came from their own shop. They did not socialise and did not have a lavish lifestyle. Their younger daughter was studying in the nursery level at a local school,” another neighbour said.

Dinesh’s wife, Monica, originally from a village in Udaipur, also belonged to an affluent family — her father was a former Congress leader.