Mumbai: Four contract killers arrested from Gorai

The accused, who were nabbed near Pepsi Ground on Monday morning

The Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 11 has apprehended four suspects who are believed to have murdered a 53-year-old state transport bus conductor in Nandurbar district. The accused, two of whom are minors, had been hiding in Gorai for the past few days.

According to sources, the suspects are accused of kidnapping and killing Rajendra Uttamrao Marathe in an area under the jurisdiction of the Shahada police station. The body, which was discovered on March 16, had been burned with petrol.

Upon discovery and identification of the deceased's body, the Shahada police and crime branch initiated an investigation.

Rajendra Marathe, the deceased

After identifying the accused and their location, they alerted the Mumbai Crime Branch under the direction of the senior officers of the Mumbai Crime Branch and with the supervision of Senior Inspector Vinayak Chauhan Unit 11, Police Inspector Bharat Ghone, along with his team traced and apprehended the suspects from Gorai on Monday afternoon, said an officer.

"During interrogation, it was revealed that Marathe's son-in-law allegedly orchestrated the murder by offering a contract worth Rs 3 lakh to the four individuals. Following the murder, the accused attempted to dispose of the body by dousing it with petrol and setting it alight. The relationship between the deceased's daughter and her husband was strained, leading her to leave her husband's house and reside with her father. The son-in-law harboured feelings of resentment, perceiving his father-in-law as an obstacle to his marital relationship. Motivated by revenge, he devised a plan and enlisted the help of the four individuals to execute the murder," the officer added.

The suspects have been identified as Nilesh Patil, 25, and Luky Kishor Virare, 20, who operate a tea stall in Nandurbar. The other two are 16 and 17 years old.

After kidnapping Marathe, the perpetrators allegedly murdered him with a rod in a forest located some distance away from the city. The accused then escaped to Surat and proceeded to Gorai. They were caught near Pepsi Ground on Monday morning, an officer said.

The wife and daughter of the deceased filed a missing person report at the local police station on March 14 evening. On the night of March 15, authorities became aware of the discovery of a deceased individual. Subsequently, on the morning of March 16, they officially registered a case and commenced their investigation.

Mar 16
Day body was found