Mumbai Crime: Murder witness gets threat calls from jail

Over two years after a brutal murder in a moving car in Juhu, a witness in the case has complained to the cops that he is being threatened, allegedly on behalf of the accused lodged in jail. He has alleged that the calls were made from the Arthur Road Jail.

Mani Raman Devendra (49), was stabbed as many as 15 times over a dispute of Rs 15 lakh by the prime accused, Madurai Mariappa Devendra alias Madira, along with his driver Parvesh Devendra. They had forced Mani into a Maruti van after they got him drunk at Madurai's house, near his residence in Juhu. Police said in the moving car they stabbed Mani 15 times. Mani's body was later dumped near Vidyanidhi circle in Vile Parle. A few locals saw it being dumped and informed the Juhu police.

"On Thursday night we received a complaint from a witness in the murder case. He had got a threat call demanding that he back off as witness in the matter, or face dire consequences. We have registered a complaint under section 507 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and are investigating. He has claimed that the caller identified himself as one Zulfi from the jail," said a police officer.

"We are in the process of identifying the cell phone location from the call data records of the caller," said Crime Branch sources.

According to the Juhu police's investigations, Mani had a few years previously borrowed Rs 5 lakh from Madurai and agreed to pay him back with interest in regular installments. The interest was hiked and the amount raised to Rs 15 lakh. When Mani failed to pay the regular installments, Madurai was furious, which led to the killing.