Prosecution asks for custody as their help is needed in catching other culprits involved in case
Prosecution asks for custody as their help is needed in catching other culprits involved in case
A metropolitan magistrate court on Tuesday sent three persons, who have been detained in connection with the murder of artist Hema Upadhyay and her lawyer Harish Bhambani, to police custody till December 19.
Meanwhile one accused, Shiv Kumar Rajbhar alias Sadhu, was arrested by the Special Task Force, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday with 20 debit cards, nine of which belonged to Hema and Bhambani.
Sadhu will be brought back to Mumbai on either late Tuesday night or early Wednesday. After the arrest of Sadhu, police arrested three persons in this case who were already detained.
Tempo driver Vikas Rajbhar, worker Pradeep Rajbhar and Azad Rajbhar were detained on December 13 and the police arrested them early on Tuesday at about 2.50 am.
While sources said at least seven people are suspected to be involved in the crime, a police search is on for the absconding owner of the warehouse, Vidhyadhar Rajbhar. On Tuesday, the police asked for the custody of Vikas, Pradeep and Azad in court, which was approved.
Confirming this, local DCP Vikram Deshmane said, “We have booked them under sections 302 (Murder), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.)”
The three accused were produced in the metropolitan magistrate court in Borivali and the public prosecutor, argued before the court that the police suspects that more than one person is absconding and the investigating agency needs their custody to trace the absconding accused.
He also argued that the belongings of Hema, the car of deceased advocate Bhambani and the tempo in which their bodies were transported for dumping are yet to be traced.
According to the public prosecutor, officials suspect that these accused persons could have criminal backgrounds and they want to verify that as well.
