3 more held in history-sheeter’s murder

(From left) Prime accused Umesh Kadam, Rahul Jadhav and Sushil Sawant. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

The Bhandup police have arrested 3 more persons in the murder of a history-sheeter on October 4. The prime accused was hiding in a jungle near Bhandup. Umesh Kadam, 27, tried to attack the cops with a weapon but was nabbed. Along with Kadam, the police arrested Rahul Jadhav, 26, and Jayraj alias Sada, alias Susheel Sawant, 27, from Thane in the murder of Suraj Mehra. Two more people are absconding.

At 2.30am on Monday, Suraj Mehra alias Suraj Nepali, 27, was returning home with a friend. At Rawate Bridge near Ram Nagar at Bhandup he was attacked by unknown persons with knives and swords. He was declared dead at a hospital. Within 24 hours, the police had arrested 2 persons involved in the attack. Their names were not given.

The Bhandup police had formed teams to hunt the other accused. On Tuesday, the teams got a tip-off that one of the prime accused, Kadam was hiding in the jungle near Bhandup. "A team led by PSI Sharad Bagal was sent into the jungle to hunt Kadam. On Wednesday morning they managed to track him. But Kadam tried to attack the team with a sharp weapon. The police managed to nab him," said an official from Bhandup police station.

"We had received reliable information about Kadam. We sent a team and he tried to attack them, but we nabbed him," said Shyam Shinde, senior inspector, Bhandup police station. A search is on for the other accused.