After eight months of investigation involving hundreds of people and the study of more than 100 CCTV footages, tower locations and the drum data of mobile phones obtained from the crime spot, the Mumbai Crime Branch Unit XI finally arrested an absconding accused, who had stabbed a staffer of Hotel Devine at Borivli in February.

What happened

According to police sources, two men posing as rickshaw drivers had entered the hotel and claimed they had to collect money from a customer. They were taken by a staffer to one of two rooms where one of them identified the customer, and returned. However, after some time, an unidentified person entered the hotel and went towards the room. The on-duty staff Naushad Buraniya and his brother Salim followed him till he reached room number 215 where he brought a man out at gunpoint and tried to drag him along. When Naushad tried to intervene, the accused  pointed the pistol at his chest. Salim then caught the accused tightly from behind. Since the accuser’s grip was tight Naushad bit his hand and made him drop the pistol. The accused then attacked Salim on his hand and neck with a knife and fled. Salim was later treated for his injuries.