Three produced in court

Officers said they have not yet given the victim’s 41-year-old son Anuj Tikku a clean chit as he has been changing statements often. Officers said they would first interrogate Palande and Gajkosh about Anuj’s possible involvement. If the duo reveal anything,they will question Anuj and even seek court’s permission to conduct a brain mapping test on him,they said.

“At present,we will investigate the case and find out whether Anuj was involved in the murder. If we find anything,we will book him,” said Pratap Dighavkar,Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone 9).

“Till now,we have found that Palande and the other two accused had planned to kill Anuj to get possession of his flat. But when Arun suddenly came to Mumbai,they decided to kill him too,” said an officer.

Meanwhile,the police have begun the procedure to issue a red corner notice against a German national named Nivis Ligenza,who had helped Palande and Gajkosh sign an agreement to stay as paying guests in Anuj’s house. “The accused had planned to get the flat with the help of Ligenza as she would have left for Germany. As per their plan,after they eliminated Anuj,the police would search for her instead of suspecting them,” added the officer.

The police are also checking the involvement of a girl identified as Simran,who is suspected to be Palande’s girlfriend,and had been spending time with Anuj. “Palande had told Simran to divert Anuj’s attention as she was accompanying them to a farmhouse in Chiplun. Simran had,however,left the farmhouse the next day. When they were in Chiplun,Shinde and Gajkosh went to Anuj’s house and murdered his father.”

Arun’s brother Sanjay Kaul on Wednesday claimed his body from the Cooper Hospital to perform the last rites.