25 August,2014 10:22 AM IST | | Shiva Devnath
Both the deceased and the prime accused are history sheeters and allegedly have political links; all three accused have been arrested
The Juhu police have arrested three men for brutally murdering a man by stabbing him 17 times with a chopper on Saturday evening because he had not returned their money.
According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Mani Raman Devendra (49), a resident of Nehru Nagar hutments near Juhu police station. Mani had ten criminal cases against him and had been externed from the city in the past.
Representational pic
The prime accused, Madhurai Mariappa Devendra aka Madira (49), is also a history sheeter and has 13 cases registered against him. He is from Mani's community and knew him well. Madhurai had given Mani R15 lakh nearly four years ago but Mani had not been able to return it and had promised Madhurai his flat in Versova in exchange.
Restless at getting neither the money nor the flat, Madhurai planned to murder Mani and asked for a meeting around 3.30 pm on Saturday. Mani got into a car with Madhurai, which also had Madhurai's aide and driver Parvesh Bhima Devendra (32) and another man, S Mandal.
After a discussion, Madhurai stabbed Mani several times in the car and dumped his body at Vidyanidhi circle near 10th Road in Juhu. While Madhurai and Parvesh were arrested on Saturday, produced before the magistrate's court and remanded in police custody till August 28, Mandal was arrested yesterday and may be produced in court today. The trio have been charged with murder and kidnapping.
Political links
Mani used to work for a builder and also had side businesses as a cable operator as well as a buyer and seller of shanties in the Nehru Nagar area. He was also reportedly affiliated to a major political party. He is survived by his wife and three minor children.
The Juhu police's investigations have also revealed that accused Madhurai and Parvesh are both notorious criminals, who had grabbed land worth nearly Rs 5 crore near the airport and sold it to others.
Madhurai reportedly also runs a prostitution racket and is a member of a national party. He had several hoardings put up in his and the party's name in the Juhu and Vile Parle areas. The police are also verifying whether other people with political links were involved in the case.
