They donated Rs 5,000 hoping for some divine intervention to save them. It didn’t come. On Thursday, Crime Branch arrested Mohammad Khaleel Abdul Rasul Shaikh (37) and Poonam Sahani (19) for the murder of BJP worker and Dharavi Grain Dealers Association manager Vasant Dhirajlal Jotha (52).
Cops say the duo had bestowed Rs 5,000 at the Mahim Dargah for atonement of their sins after committing the crime. Dharavi police had found the body of Jotha at Priyadarshini Apartments on February 20 (‘BJP worker stabbed to death in his office’, Feb 21). The victim had been stabbed the previous night with a sharp weapon. Jotha also owned a rationing shop and was an active worker of the BJP. He had campaigned for Mayor Shraddha Jadhav in the area during the recent BMC polls.
Out of options?
Also arrested were Shaikh’s friend and neighbour Mohammad Talah (22) and Poonam’s minor sister, whose identity has been withheld. The accused have told the cops they did not have any option but to kill Jotha as he was sexually abusing minor girls in the area and had asked Poonam to bring her younger sister to him.
While Shaikh and Talah were both picked up from Antop Hill, their residential area, Dharavi police arrested Poonam from Uttar Pradesh.
Cops said they had formed eight teams to investigate the case from all angles, including political or business rivalry. “We found that Poonam Sahani, who was working for Jotha, was missing since the murder. While tracing her we found that she was in touch with two people — Shaikh and Talah,” said ACP Prafful Bhosale, Crime branch.
Sordid saga
“The accused have told us the deceased used to give poor girls from Dharavi area free kerosene and grains in return for sexual favours,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Himanshu Roy. Jotha was allegedly demanding that Poonam bring her younger sister to him. Poonam then met her friend Shaikh and they planned the murder. Accordingly, Poonam took her sister to Jotha on February 18. “In the meantime Shaikh and Talah entered the premises and stabbed Jotha. After this, they fled with Rs 10,000 that was lying in the office,” said DCP (Zone V), Dhananjay Kulkarni.
Courtesy: Mid-day.com