Chargesheet blames fugitive don,‘hitmen’ for Azmi murder

The Crime Branch has invoked sections of the stringent MCOCA against alleged contract killers Devendra Babu Jagtap alias JD,Pintoo Deoram Dagale,Vinod Yashwant Vichare and Hasmukh Solanki. The murder was allegedly executed on the instructions of Nepali and his associate Vijay alias Bala Shetty who had paid Rs 1 lakh to the killers.

The chargesheet lists 91 witnesses,including eyewitnesses such as a peon who had identified the shooters. The police have submitted ballistic reports to show the bullets in the body had indeed been fired from the weapons seized from the arrested.

The police seized four firearms,three of which,they said,were actually used in the murder. The chargesheet also has details about how the target was given to the assailants through e-mail,which they received in a cyber café at Mulud. There are also transcripts of telephonic conversations between the different accused involved. However,the police are yet to establish a motive. They said that Nepali,who allegedly was with the Chhota Rajan gang,is believed to have separated and he ordered the killing to establish himself as a ganglord.

To slap MCOCA the two prior offences are mandatory for MCOCA. The arrested are history-sheeters. For Nepali,the police cited extortion cases registered at Borivili and Chembur police stations in 2001 and 2006.