12 June,2014 02:15 AM IST | | Saurabh Vaktania
Police say Shekhar Aduwala was killed by professional assassins; add that he had a rivalry with his brothers, and one of them made 15 quick calls at the time of murder
Investigations into the murder of 34-year-old businessman Shekhar Aduwala have hinted at the possible involvement of his business clients or his two brothers. Cops say the killing was carried out extremely professionally, as the killers shot Aduwala at close range, without hurting his son who was riding the scooter they were on.
Shekhar Aduwala (left) was returning with his son Neeraj (right) to their residence in Jankalyan Nagar, Malad, on their scooter when the incident took place
On Monday around 11.40 pm, Aduwala was returning with his son Neeraj to their residence in Jankalyan Nagar, Malad on their scooter. Three bike-borne shooters came extremely close to their vehicle, aimed a pistol at the back of Aduwala's head and fired a round.
A Crime Branch officer said, "After shooting, the three escaped right in front of the son's eyes. No one realised what had happened, since the crack of the gun sounded more like a burst of crackers. The bullet came straight out of the front of Aduwala's head, and he died on the spot."
A senior officer said, "The bullet was fired from a 9mm pistol. All the three shooters had pistols. They were given very clear instructions to only kill Aduwala and not harm anyone else. These are the markings of a high-level professional killing. A supari was given by a mastermind to the shooters."
Investigations revealed that Aduwala had a rivalry with his brother over a country-liquor shop at Hindustan naka in Malad. A case had also been registered at Samta Nagar police station. Cops said that at the time of the murder, one of Aduwala's brothers made over 15 calls in quick succession, which makes him a suspect in their eyes. But he has told the police that he would never have killed his brother over a rivalry.
The cops also said that Aduwala worked for an anti-corruption NGO named Bhrastrachar Nirmulan Sanstha. Sources said that in the name of charity, he indulged in extortion and other illegal activities. He was also into the money-lending business, where he had made several enemies.
An officer said, "We suspect some big party that had been harassed and extorted by Aduwala executed the killing to eliminate him." He added, "There were many people who wanted to take revenge from him. In the name of the NGO and money-lending business, he had made several enemies and even extorted people." The cops have taken Aduwala's call detail records and are questioning every person on the list.
