Mumbai: Did Chintan Upadhyay want case transferred to crime branch?

Slain artist Hema Upadhyay's family members on Tuesday approached the Bombay High Court, questioning the transfer of case to the Mumbai Crime Branch from the Kandivli police station. Their lawyer asked if Hema's estranged husband, Chintan Upadhyay, an accused in the case, was behind the transfer since the Crime Branch has given him a clean chit earlier.

Chintan and Hema Upadhyay. File pic

Hema's brother Manish Hirani along with her friend Sanchu Menon filed a petition. They asked why the murder case was transferred to the Ghatkopar unit of the Crime Branch, which has already given a clean chit to Chintan. They also said that they have written to the Chief Minister and Director General of Police claiming that the cases is likely to be tampered with and all efforts are done to give bail to an influential person like Chintan.

"It was not necessary to transfer the case but it was transferred by Mumbai Police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar via a two-line order citing no reasons? We did not demand it, did Chintan demand it?" questioned advocate Vinod Gangwal.

"The crime branch has already given clean chit to Chintan, the main accused in the case. The Kandivli police are doing a fair job; the chargesheet has already been filed in the matter on March 11. Chintan's bail application has been rejected by the Dindoshi Sessions court that is carrying out the trial," said Gangwal who approached Justice Naresh Patil and Justice Prakash Deu Naik with the matter.

The Kandivli police filed a chargesheet in the case on March 11 and the case was transferred on May 17, with which the family was not happy at all. "We suspect the transfer of the case has been done to hamper the investigations. Chintan enjoys political clout," said Gangwal before the bench. He also told the bench that the transfer happened in an illegal manner. The justice has posted the matter for hearing next week.