Mumbai police have arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of a man whose body was found in Chiplun, revealing a chilling tale of financial dispute and attempts to conceal the crime.
Two persons were arrested for allegedly killing a man in Mumbai and then transporting his body to Chiplun in Maharashtra's Konkan region for disposal, a police official said on Thursday.
The probe began after remains of Ejaz Qureshi, who was killed in Malad in north Mumbai in November last year, were found on Tuesday, the Chiplun police official said.
"His body was stuffed into a suitcase, taken to Awatewadi village in Chiplun's Rampur area and disposed of in a mango orchard in November. We found charred remains, including bones, a ring, and an iron rod in the victim's leg. We managed to zero in on Vishal Khoddekar and his girlfriend Jannatunisa Khan within 24 hours of the remains being found on Tuesday," the official said.
Khoddekar has confessed that he assaulted Qureshi amid a dispute over a financial transaction, resulting in the latter's death, the official said.
"The dispute began after Jannatunisa Khan rented a house from Qureshi after paying a high deposit and wanted her moneyback. Incidentally, after disposing of the body in November, Khoddekar came to know some time later that it was lying exposed. He arrived in Chiplun and set the body on fire using diesel to destroy evidence," the official said.
A local court has remanded Khoddekar and Khan in police custody for six days, he added.