Mumbai Crime: Tiff over toll money led to cabbie’s murder; two arrested

Cabbie Santosh Jha

Virar police on Wednesday arrested brothers Yusuf Chaus and Mustakin Chaus for the murder of Ola cab driver, Santosh Jha. A police source said they had refused to pay the toll while travelling to Karnataka. Later, when they couldn't pay for the CNG refilling, Santosh realised they didn't have any money. He stopped the car and asked for cash. Yusuf took out a knife, and got injured when Santosh tried to fight back. Within moments, an angry Mustakin slit Santosh's throat.

Santosh Jha, the deceased

Virar police had detained Yusuf Ali Chaus, 35, and Mustakin Ali Chaus, 25, on Saturday, but while speaking to mid-day on Tuesday, they had denied having any knowledge about any accused in the case.

However, on Wednesday they admitted to having booked the Chaus brothers under Sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. They will be produced before court on Thursday for police custody.

The source told mid-day that the brothers had booked a cab to Panvel first, but on reaching there, they convinced Santosh to drop them at Khandala for a payment of Rs 5,000. Santosh agreed and switched off his Ola app.

Residents of Damu Pada in Kandivli, the brothers wanted to see their ailing mother at their native place at Nipani in Belgaum district of Karnataka.

Zonal DCP Prashant Wagunde, who is monitoring the probe

At the Khandala toll naka, Santosh asked them to pay the toll, but they refused, saying it was part of the package. At the CNG station, on being asked, Yusuf used his debit card to pay for the gas, but he didn't have sufficient balance.

The source said this alarmed Santosh, who realised that the duo didn't have any money. He insisted they pay at least half the fare, but they refused, said the source. "This riled Santosh and he stopped the car, and an argument broke out."

During the argument, Yusuf took out a knife and told Santosh to start the car. But Santosh refused and snatched the knife during which Yusuf sustained an injury to his hand and started bleeding, the source said. "Mustakin, who was sitting behind the driver's seat, grabbed Santosh and pulled him to the rear seat and snatched the knife from him."

"Yusuf then started driving, but Mustakin was angry about his brother's injury and slit Santosh's throat. They threw his body off a bridge in the Lonavala ghat." They then drove the car to a hotel near Mumbai-Bengaluru highway, said Rahul Jha, Santosh's son. He said the car's owner helped him trace the car which was GPS-equipped.

Rahul Jha, Santosh's son

The car owner contacted the hotel and enquired about the vehicle. "The hotel owner confirmed that the car was parked there. When the car owner asked to speak with the Chaus brothers, they sped away," said Senior Inspector Suhas Varade of Virar police station.

Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police Prashant Wagunde told mid-day that the vehicle was found abandoned in the jurisdiction of Chandgad police in Kolhapur district. SI Varade said a forensic team has collected samples from the car.

Police source said they are yet to find the murder weapon.

The duo had returned to Mumbai recently. Upon investigating the case further, Virar police caught the brothers from Kandivli on Saturday, and took them to Lonavala on Sunday to retrieve the body.

Investigation officer Sub-inspector Abhijit Bhupendra Tailor and his team accompanied the duo to Lonavala to recover the body. Police said they admitted to killing Santosh.

Yusuf Ali Chaus, one of the accused police arrested on Wednesday. Pics/Hanif Patel

Commissioner of Police, Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar, Sadanand Date said, "The matter is sensitive and complex as it is multi jurisdictional. Our teams are conducting a thorough probe." The Lonavala police had filed an Accidental Death Report after the body was found.

Santosh is survived by his wife Sunita, two sons Rahul, 23, and Shubham, 20, and daughter Laxmi, 14.