Mumbai: Six arrested for the murder of security firm contractor

Three of the accused after their arrest

Three of the accused after their arrest

The Aarey Colony police has solved the murder of Veera Pandiyan, a 35-year-old security contractor, who was brutally killed on Thursday. They have arrested six people, including two minors, for the murder that took place in the Aarey Dairy premises at Goregaon. Five accused were nabbed from different locations in the city by the Aarey Colony police, while one was caught by Crime Branch unit 10. Police suspect more people may be involved.

Locals demand action
The accused have been identified as Chailyar Durrai (48), Chailya Raja (45), Haider Ali Shaikh (30), Venkatesh Harijan (22) and two minors aged 17 years each. After the murder, a mob of over 100 people had ransacked the homes of five of the accused, and set fire to a small godown. Yesterday morning, they protested outside the Aarey police station demanding immediate action against the accused.

The murder
Police said the prime accused in the case, Chailyar Durrai, also runs a security firm and used to provided security guards illegally in Film City, and the murder was the outcome of rivalry. Durrai along with Raja, Ali, Venkatesh and the two minors, followed Pandiyan from his residence at unit no 7 to Aarey Dairy. Police said when he reached the dairy canteen, Ali, Venkatesh and one of the minors attacked him. Durrai and the others kept watch.

mid-day's report on the murder

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP-Zone 12) Kiran Kumar Chavan, "There are six companies which have bagged the security service tender in Film City. Pandiyan's company, X - Service Man Security Services, was one of them. Those who run the rival company which illegally supplied the guards, were worried after Pandiyan got the tender, so they killed him." He said further investigation is on, and the accused will be produced in court today.