Mumbai Crime: Lawyer, associate and clients attacked with swords and knives

This picture has been used for representational purpose

The MHB Colony police arrested one person and detained two others on Monday for allegedly attacking a lawyer, his associate and clients with swords and knives, when they went to survey land in Dahisar west on Sunday.

Police said lawyer Satyadev Joshi, who is in a critical condition, had gone to survey the land near Kandarpada in Dahisar West with his associate Ankit Tandon and clients Divyesh Desai, his father Rajendra, his partner Taukir Khan and Khan's two sons. Police said over 30 men came and threatened to kill them if they did not leave. They claimed the land belonged to one Arun Upadhyay and Mukesh Bhatia.

When Desai and Khan refused to leave as they had bought the land, the men got swords and knives from a rickshaw parked nearby and attacked them.

Divyesh Desai, 39, told the police in his statement that in 1968, the land was bought by Taukir Khan from the owner Deubai Thakur. In 1990 the sons of Kashibai Patil (sister of Deubai Thakur) claimed ownership and approached the High Court. In 2016 the court dismissed the case. The BMC then declared the land reserved for a school.

Desai said he formed a company called Solaris along with Taukir Khan and began work to build a school. On Sunday they had gone to see the land when the incident took place. The MHB Colony police have booked 33 people, including Upadhyay and Bhatia, under relevant Sections of the IPC.