Thane: Shocking murder of 28-year-old rocks Ulhasnagar

Rahul Jaiswal, the deceased

The Central police in Ulhasnagar have arrested three people for murdering a 28-year-old man, Rahul Jaiswal, at Imlipada in Ulhasnagar in the early hours of Thursday. The police said the accused sprayed chilli powder in Jaiswal's eyes, stabbed him and smashed his head in with a tile. More than seven people have been booked in connection with the case.

The scene where the youth was stabbed in Ulhasnagar. Pics/Navneet Barhate

According to the police, Jaiswal had a long-standing dispute with one Premchand alias Babu Dhakni and his associates, all of whom lived in the same area. "Due to their rivalry, Babu torched Rahul's bike a few years ago. Jaiswal then registered a case against Babu, and the latter was arrested and eventually released on bail. For the past few months Babu and his uncle had been telling Jaiswal and his relatives to either withdraw the case or face death," said a police officer.

On Thursday, Jaiswal's friend Hardeep Singh Labana, 26, the complainant in the case, was first assaulted by Babu and his friends. "Later, the accused threw a stone at Jaiswal's residence and demanded that he come out. As Jaiswal, his mother and Labana were about to file a police complaint, a group comprising about 10 men brutally killed the youth. Jaiswal's mother tried to stop the violence but in vain," said a police officer.

After conducting raids at various places, the police nabbed three accused, Basant Dhakni, Pranay Shetty and Santosh Salve. According to the police, the rest of the accused - Babu, Karan Dhakni, Praful Kumawat, Robin Karotiya and three others - are absconding. Karotiya had been externed from Ulhasnagar. Jaiswal's mother told mid-day, "Until all the accused are arrested, we won't take Rahul's body home."