Mumbai Crime: Man shoots friend dead over piece of land

Residents gather in Vasai's Shillotar village after news of the murder spreads, burning the accused's bike and car. Pics/Hanif Patel

A murder in broad daylight rocked Vasai East's Shilotar village last morning after a 42-year-old property dealer was shot dead by a group of people over a property dispute. The deceased has been identified as Baban Mali.

His two younger brothers, who sustained serious injuries while trying to save him from the group, are Jagdish, 21, and Ravindra, 25. Of the nine accused, three have been nabbed and the rest, including the main accused, Mahendra Singh, 45, are absconding.

According to police sources, as the information of Baban's murder spread in the village, his relatives attacked Singh's house and office, and also burnt his bike and car.

Morning mayhem
Explaining the dispute, the Waliv police said Baban and Singh were neighbours and friends, in the same business. Recently, there was a dispute between them over a piece of land near Mali's bungalow. On Monday, when they bumped into each other, they started arguing over it. Even as Jagdish intervened to stop the fight, Singh's nephew attacked Baban with a bamboo.

The deceased Baban Mali

A police source said, "Soon, the fight became more violent as people from both sides started attacking each other with sticks and bamboos. In the ensuing chaos, Singh fired at Baban, and the bullet hit his chest, killing him on the spot." Singh and his relatives fled from the spot, while Jagdish and Ravindra rushed Baban to hospital. The two were also admitted in Vasai's Platinum Hospital. Their condition is stable.

The accused Mahendra Singh

Case filed
The incident took place around 8.30 am near Kaman under the jurisdiction of the Waliv police, who have registered a case under sections 302 (murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 143 (punishment, for member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the IPC along with relevant sections of the Arms Act.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, current affairs from Mumbai, local news, crime news and breaking headlines here

Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go