Shooters killed the wrong men

MUMBAI, Jan 10: The Crime Branch of the Mumbai police has arrested a doctor in the sensational Chandanwadi shootout case and found that t...

MUMBAI, Jan 10: The Crime Branch of the Mumbai police has arrested a doctor in the sensational Chandanwadi shootout case and found that the two persons who were shot dead were victims of mistaken identity. Interrogation of the accused also fixed property dispute as the motive. Dr Arshad Jamal was arrested from his Mahim residence this afternoon and charged with conspiracy of murder in collusion with Karachi-based ganglord Abu Salem.

At around 7.30 pm on Thursday, two men had opened indiscriminate fire killing Jitendra Sura and Sunil Pawar, and injuring nine others near the Chandanwadi crematorium at Marine Lines. Pawar and Sura were employees of a medical firm, Anchor Pharma, which has its office near the crematorium.

Police say the hitmen had been asked to kill the company’s owner, Mukesh Mehta, but since Sura bore a remote resemblance to him, they mistook Sura for Mehta and killed him instead. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) Param Bir Singh told Express Newsline: “The killing was thehandiwork of the Abu Salem gang, and it was a fallout of a property dispute.”

Story continues below this ad

Mehta, who had been involved in a property dispute with a builder from Juhu, had bought flats in Kishank building at the Juhu-Vile Parle Development Scheme and invested in the project as well. However, when Mehta went abroad, the builder illegally gave possession of two of Mehta’s flats to Dr Arshad.

When Mehta realised this, he obtained a stay order against the doctor and got him evicted. Dr Arshad had some property in Mumbra at Thane, which was also caught up in the litigation. Senior Inspector of the Crime Branch (Unit-I), Abdul Rauf said: “The builder owed Rs 1.2 crore to Dr Arshad and Abu Salem from previous dealings, which the ganglord kept demanding from him. The builder and Dr Arshad thus hatched a plot to kill Mehta, believing this would solve their financial problems. The doctor took the two hitmen to Anchor Pharma and identified Mehta. However, they mistook Sura for his employer on Thursday. Pawar was killed simplybecause he was accompanying Sura. Police are yet to arrest the shooters and builder.