Mumbai Crime: 'Grant Road killer believed neighbours instigated wife and kids'

Cops take Chetan Gala (in white shirt) away

The 55-year-old man, who stabbed three people to death and injured two others last week, is a sex addict, according to his wife, police sources said. Moreover, Chetan Gala mismanaged the finances. Fed up, his wife moved out with their children two months back, the cops added. He blamed his neighbours for the separation of their family and hatched a plan to take revenge. Gala lived with his wife, two daughters and a son.

The family lived in a one-room, open kitchen flat, on the second floor of Parvati Mansion, in Grant Road East. Since there was no privacy at home, he would often force their children to go out so that he could get physical with his wife. This was the main source of constant fights in the family," said a police officer.

Their eldest daughter is married and lives with her husband elsewhere.

Cops at the crime scene in Parvati Mansion, at DB Marg, Grant Road, on Friday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Police said that Gala and his brother owned a shop in Grant Road and had rented it out. They earned Rs 20,000 per month, which was divided between the two brothers, they added. This was the only source of income for the family, but Gala used to keep some amount for his personal expenses. This was another reason his wife and children resented him, police sources said.

"Around 50 days back, Gala's wife and children decided not to stay with him any more. They all moved to a flat in Pannalal Terrace, owned by Gala's parents," sources added.

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"After his wife moved out, Gala became frustrated as his sexual desires were unfulfilled. He called his wife many times, asking to return home, but she refused. He then requested her to at least spend some time with him, but she didn't want to," sources said.

Neighbours were in a shock after the attack, at Parvati Mansion in Grant Road, on Friday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Gala suspected some of his neighbours of instigating his wife against him and a month back, he hatched a plan to kill them, police said.

On the day of the attack, i.e. on Friday, his wife, one of their daughters and the son had come to deliver his tiffin when Gala asked them to stay back, sources said. But, they refused. Gala then asked his wife not to leave, but she didn't listen.

Sometime later, Gala, who already blamed the neighbours for breaking up his family, got furious and attacked her immediate neighbour Ilaben Mistry, 70, around 3.20 pm.

One of the police sources said, "He fought with Ilaben daily over silly issues, like for drying clothes on the balcony railing just outside on his front door and leaving fallen hair in the passage. Gala also assumed that Ilaben had influenced his wife, which prompted her to leave him. On Friday, Gala entered Ilaben's house and stabbed her multiple times, killing her."

Gala then attacked Prakash Waghmare, 52, a domestic help in the society. A few days before the attack, Gala's wife and one of their daughters had come to meet him. His wife met Waghmare in the passage and they spoke for around half an hour. Gala was confident that Waghmare would convince his wife to return home, but he failed, said the police source. Gala was angry about this and stabbed Waghmare, too.

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The next two people he attacked were Jenil Bramhabhatt, 18, and her mother Snehal Bramhabhatt, 44, who had rushed upstairs after hearing the commotion.

"Gala believed that Jenil and Snehal were badmouthing him in front of his daughter. That's the reason he stabbed her in the neck," said the source. Snehal survived, but Jenil passed away.

Gala then found Jayendrabhai Mistry, 77, in the passage, informing his son about the attack on Ilaben and stabbed him, too. He also succumbed to the injuries. Later, he told the police that Jayendrabhai had used a curse word for his wife during a verbal fight with him in 2017, and that is the reason he killed him, too, sources said.

3
No. of neighbours he killed on Friday