2 more held in UK tourist murder case

Two more persons wanted in the sensational murder of a British tourist near Roha in Raigad district have been arrested, police said.

Raja Malusare and Ravindra Dalvi were arrested late on Sunday night from Malsai town in Roha tehsil of Raigad by the crime branch in connection with the murder of Stephen Bennett in December.

Stephen Bennett (40), a resident of Gloucestershire in Britain, was allegedly lynched by locals at Malsai village in Raigad district, around 120 km from Alibag on December 10 by beating him with sticks and then hanging him on a tree for allegedly "making advances" at a local woman.

Four locals -- including the husband of the woman Ramesh Mene, Vithoba Mene, Nathuram Mohite and Kashinath Marathe -- have been arrested by the police in connection of the case.

The police suspect that Stephen, who had alighted from a Konkan Railways train at Roha three days prior to his murder, was a drug addict and was allegedly suffering from AIDS.

According to a letter sent by Bennett's mother, he was very depressed and disturbed the past few days as his girlfriend was suffering with AIDS due to which he feared being affected by the fatal disease.