Ghatkopar murder: Seven accused blame each other in jeweller case

In the ongoing investigation of Ghatkopar diamond merchant Rajeshwar Udani's murder, the arrested accused have started blaming each other and claiming that the cops have framed them.

According to sources from Pant Nagar Police Station, Siyasti Khan alias Dolly - a 38-year-old beautician - said that main accused Sachin Pawar, a former aide to BJP minister Prakash Mehta, is her 'rakhi brother' and she did whatever he had asked her to, without knowing that she was becoming participant in a murder. Cops argue that she knew of the murder plot, which Dolly denies.

The car in which the murder took place

The accused - a total of seven - are currently in police custody. Udani, 57, a resident of Ghatkopar, had gone missing on November 28. During investigations, the police learnt that on the day he disappeared, he had left his car near the Vikhroli traffic chowkie around 9.45 pm, and had taken another white car that was waiting for him. After nearly a week-long search, the Panvel Taluka police found an unknown body, in an isolated location.

Meanwhile, said cops, co-accused Dinesh Pawar, the suspended police constable who allegedly strangled Udani and helped dispose off the body and destroy evidence, has also blamed Sachin. On the other hand, Sachin is pointing fingers at the cops and the other accused, claiming that he was not at the spot where this has happened and had not planned any murder as he is being accused of doing.

Sources said that Sachin's argument is that the police have arrested him only on the basis of some call data records, and the fact that other accused named him in the case.

Siddhesh Patil, who was arrested from Dongri on Wednesday claims that he doesn't know any of the other co-accused and that he was being held on other co-accused's statements that said he had purchased the gloves and face mask used during Udani's murder.

Mahesh Bhoir, also arrested last week, is a distant relative of Pranit Bhoir, arrested on December 8. Pranit was allegedly driving the car in which Udani was murdered. Mahesh, cops said, claims that Pranit just asked him to accompany him in the car and he did so, without knowing that Udani would be murdered.

Zara Khan, who said Sachin offered her a chance in Bollywood films and asked her to give a trial performance in the car, used her in the murder plot. Khan was arrested last week because she was allegedly in the car in which Udani was murdered and despite having witnessed this, she didn't report the crime. Cops believe that the chain of accusations is nothing but a smart diversion. According to police, Dinesh is sharp and to avoid being arrested after disposing Udani's body, they visited Murud where they set his, Udani's and a third cellphone on fire. Police have found burnt particles of mobile phones that they have sent to the forensic lab for analysis.

However, Pranit's clothes caught fire and they have recovered this cloth. An officer said that after the murder, Sachin gave Rs 20,000 to Khan and asked her to keep her mouth shut. Sachin also provided her a new SIM card and a new handset for further communication. Police have seized her mobile phone and sent it to forensic lab for analysis. They have also seized actress Debolina Bhattacharya's mobile phone and sent it to the lab.

On Saturday, Dinesh and Pranit were produced before metropolitan magistrate court Vikhroli, where the court remanded them to police custody till December 18. mid-day tried to connect with DCP Akhilesh Kumar Singh of Zone VII for comments on the case, but he didn't respond.

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