Lohariya murder prime accused Bijlani shot at

Police said Bijlani was going in his Chevrolet Captiva with friend Asif Karel to the office of Manish Bhatija,managing director of Paradise Group,when two men on a red motorcycle overtook and allegedly began pelting stones at his car on Kharghar Road in Central Park around 12.30 pm.

After shattering the car windows,they opened fire.

Karel,who police said owns a licensed revolver,returned the fire,after which the attackers fled.

Police said Bijlani ducked as soon as the firing began and escaped unhurt.

“We have recorded statements of Bijlani and Karel,” said Kiran Patil,senior inspector,Kharghar police station.

Bijlani’s lawyer Ramesh Tripathi said the assailants were sent by Lohariya’s son Sandip Kumar.

“Before riding away,the attackers told Bijlani he would have to suffer for crossing path with Sandip Kumar. Neither Bijlani nor Karel noticed the number of the motorcycle as it happened so fast,” he said.

Lohariya was gunned down outside his Vashi office by two bike-borne men on February 16.

Bijlani disappeared with brother Mahesh after the murder,fearing arrest. On May 14,Supreme Court rejected his application for anticipatory bail.

Sandip Kumar alleged he staged the attack on himself to escape the heat of the murder case.

He said he sent Navi Mumbai police commissioner Sharma the following text message at 12.10 am. “I got to know from sources that Bijlani is staging an attack on himself claiming it to be done by me as the last trick in his book. I fear if this source of information is true I am deeply worried. I found it very important so i thought i will inform you.”

Kumar said,“At 8.10 am,Sharma replied,‘thanks for the information’. I then asked him to put a plainclothes officer on Bijlani’s trail Friday but he didn’t. If he had,we would have known the truth.”

Sharma said he could not act on the message.

“Sandip Kumar merely said an attack may take place and may be stage-managed. I did not take it seriously because to prevent the attack I would have had to alert Bijlani,who would then have aborted the attempt,if stage-managed. I could not prevent the attack because Sandip Kumar did not tell me when and where it would take place,” he said.

Sharma said Bijlani,absconding since Lohariya’s murder,returned to Navi Mumbai 3-4 days ago.

“Bombay High Court ordered his security be withdrawn after the murder. He did not inform us that he had returned to Navi Mumbai and had been living with Karel in Kharghar. We are considering the claims of both Bijlani and Kumar.”

srinath.rao@expressindia.com