Thane, Jun 9 (UNI) With the arrest of three men, the Navi Mumbai police on Monday claimed to have solved the case of murder of a builder at Talavali village of Navi Mumbai last week, police said today.
On June 4, the victim, Pravin Tayde (35, of Navi Mumbai), was proceeding on his two-wheeler along with his friend Dattatraya Jogdand (35), in Ghansoli, when the assailants came in a car and fired at them at close-range.
In the firing incident, Tayde died on the spot while his friend Jogdand was wounded, police said.
Following the incident, the Rabale police had registered an offence under sections 302 and 307of Indian Penal Code and also sections 3, 25, 27 of the Arms Act against the unknown assailants.
The Navi Mumbai police formed a couple of teams to trace out the killers.
Two days after the firing incident, on June 6, the car, used by the assailants, was found lying abandoned at Koparkharine.
The police found that the windshield of the car smashed and they also found some incriminating articles in the car.
The police worked on various theories and sent teams to Thane, Kalyan, Lonavala, Kamseth(Pune) for the probe.
Acting on a tip-off that the accused were to come to a place near NEFT College at Kharghar this morning, police laid a trap and arrested two of the accused who came to the locality.
The duo of Jayesh Patil (37, who had a business rivalry with the victim), and Santosh Dora alias Guddu (22) came there on a motorcycle and they were detained for questioning.
His inquiry led the police to the third accused, who was identified as Devendra Mali (22).
Police said that Patil, with the help of the two others, had fired at the builder killing him on the spot and injuring his friend.
Police seized two pistols, six live cartridges, a car and a motorcycle from the arrested trio.
The motive behind the killing was said to be the business rivalry, as Patil was annoyed with the victim for getting all the contracts in the village. Hence, he liquidated him with the help of killers.
The arrested were produced before a magistrate, who remanded them into police custody till June 15, it was stated.
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