Solving Crime | Wound passed off as design leads to Dadar tattoo artist’s arrest for murder

The brothers told their interrogators that they had come to sell the stolen vehicle in the Mahim area. However, the police team felt there was more to the case than just a car theft.

When one of the officers pointed to an injury on Sai’s hand, he claimed it was the modification of a tattoo, adding that he was a tattoo artist. He said he ended up injuring himself while trying to modify the tattoo design using a sharp object. He also showed some of his tattoo work to the police.

While the police were convinced he was a tattoo artist, they found it difficult to believe his “tattoo design modification” story, which only heightened their suspicion. Consequently, upon a thorough examination, they found blood stains under the seat next to the driver’s seat of the stolen vehicle.

This discovery prompted the police team to thoroughly interrogate the two brothers again. During sustained questioning, according to the investigators, the two confessed to having killed a man near the Nashik rural area a few days before.

They revealed their father had recently retired and that they came from a lower middle-class background. Dhananjay was a software engineer. Sai, who is partially disabled, was passionate about body art and wanted to pursue it as a career by starting a tattoo parlour. However, lacking funds, he devised a plan to hire a vehicle for a long drive, kill the driver at a deserted location and sell the stolen car for quick money, a police officer said.

When he discussed his plan with Dhananjay, he agreed to join in, as he too desperately needed money to open a cyber café. The duo also roped in a friend, Nayim, offering him a good share of the proceeds.

According to their plan, the three hired an SUV and a driver, Mohammed Afa Ahmed, to go to Shirdi from Dadar. During the long drive, they sweet-talked Ahmed and befriended him. Later, at a dhaba, they allegedly laced his drink with a sedative. After consuming the drink, Ahmed felt dizzy and requested one of them to drive for a while.

Dhananjay took the wheel while Ahmed sat next to him. Sai and Nayim sat in the back. When Ahmed lost consciousness, they drove the vehicle to an isolated area, where Sai allegedly took out a knife and began attacking Ahmed’s head from behind. He allegedly struck him multiple times, with Nayim also joining in the attack. During the assault, Sai accidentally injured his own hand, the police officer added.

The trio then allegedly disposed of Ahmed’s body, wiped bloodstains from the car and returned home. The two brothers began looking for a customer to sell the stolen vehicle at a discounted rate and started spreading the word. Eventually, a police informer learned of their activities and tipped off the crime branch officials, who arrested the alleged killers. While solving a car theft case, they successfully uncovered a cold-blooded murder.