BHAGAT MURDER PLAN: ARRESTED ACCUSED TURNS AN APPROVER

MUMBAI: Rambeer Naresh Kumar Sharma alias Pandit, arrested by the Mumbai Police’s crime branch in connection with the alleged conspiracy to eliminate Jaya Bhagat, widow of slain Matka king Suresh Bhagat, and her sister Asha Bhatt, has turned an approver in the case.

A police officer said his statement was recorded under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC) before a metropolitan magistrate on Monday.

Pandit, a native of Madhya Pradesh, had got a contract through his associate Basheer Suleman Begani alias Mamu to kill both the sisters. Begani, who was roped in by Bhagat’s brother-in-law Vinod, is wanted in the case and is believed to be in Manchester City in England. The crime branch have issued a lookout circular (LOC) for his arrest.

“LOC has been issued against Begani. Whenever he visits any airport, ports and road borders in India, immigration authorities will alert us about his presence,” said inspector Nandkumar Gopale of unit 9 of crime branch.

The unit has arrested five of the alleged perpetrators before the gang could kill Bhagat and her sister in December last year. The arrested accused are Mohammed Anwar Sabbir Darji, 31; Mohammad Javed Islamuddin Ansari, 41; Maqsood Maqbool Qureshi, 35; Rambeer Naresh Kumar Sharma alias Pandit, 39; and Vinod Bhagat.

Vinod is the brother of slain Matka king Suresh Bhagat who was killed in a road accident on Alibag-pen road in 2008. Later it was found that the road accident was a pre-planned murder orchestrated by his wife Jaya and son Hitesh.

As per the crime branch, the family members were fighting to get hold on the Matka business and Vinod wanted to take revenge of his brother’s murder.

He had allegedly given ₹60 lakh contract to Begani, who then contacted Sharma and paid ₹14 lakh to arrange shooters.

Sharma then engaged Darji, Ansari, and Qureshi to execute the plan. However, following a tip-off, police arrested all the accused barring Begani.