BJP MLA, his brother held for Zariwalla suicide

The Malad police today arrested BJP MLA of Borivali Hemendra Mehta, his brother and three others for abetting the suicide of Dharmendra Zari...

The Malad police today arrested BJP MLA of Borivali Hemendra Mehta, his brother and three others for abetting the suicide of Dharmendra Zariwalla. The 25-year-old had left a note, accusing the MLA of forcing him to kill himself through ‘‘mental torture and threats of violence’’.

Mehta, his brother Bansi and four others were named in the FIR filed by the Malad police on April 15 but the police said one of them couldn’t be arrested as he was ‘‘sick and admitted in a hospital’’. The police didn’t disclose the identity of the sixth accused.

The accused that were arrested and charged under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code were later given bail on payment of Rs 15,000 each.

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Surekha, Zariwalla’s mother, alleges that Mehta demanded sexual favours from her in May 1998 and that her refusal brought the legislator’s wrath on the family. She says that his men stripped and beat her ‘‘on his (Mehta’s) orders’’ and beat Dharmendra on several occasions. Mehta, said the allegations were false.

On April 22, opposing the bail plea of the accused, public prosecutor R.V. Kini had argued that the police need to interrogate the accused to find out what happened between Dharmesh and the accused on the night before the suicide.

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