Mumbai: Thane Police crime branch on Saturday arrested two accused in connection with the murder of a Bhandup resident, whose disfigured body was found in Thane in May this year.

According to police sources, the decomposed body was found with its face bashed beyond recognition stuffed in a gunnysack in the Wagle Estate area in Thane on May 4. Based on the injuries detected on the body, the Wagle Estate police registered a case against unknown persons and initiated investigations.

The Unit V of the Thane Crime Branch obtained details of all missing person’s complaints registered in Thane and nearby areas, and found similar description of one such missing person, identified as Shekhar Pillai (40). Pillai, a Bhandup resident and an autorickshaw driver, had been missing since May 1 and a complaint was registered with the Bhandup police.

“We collected blood samples from Pillai’s wife and sent them for DNA comparison, with hair and fingernail samples from the body,” said officials.

The report by forensic science laboratory in Kalina confirmed it be  Pillai’s body. On inquiries, the police learned that earlier Pillai worked in a fabrication industry and had sold a lathe machine to one of his friends, the payment for which was pending.

“We picked up Pillai’s friend, Grijesh Singh (50), who confessed to having killed him with aid of his employee Pramodkumar Gupta, as Pillai would frequently demand the money he was owed,” the officer said.

Both the accused were charged with murder and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code remanded in police custody till September 21.