In a significant development in the Kandivali shooting case, a Mumbai court has remanded four accused individuals in police custody until November 27. The crime, which involved the shooting of a real estate agent, has been directly linked by investigators to a bitter financial dispute over a property transaction worth Rs 25 lakh.
The Dispute and The Attack
According to the Mumbai Police, the alleged mastermind behind the attack, Rajesh Chauhan alias Daya, and the victim, Freddy D'Lima, were embroiled in a conflict concerning a payment of Rs 25 lakh for a property deal. This dispute ultimately escalated into a violent assault.
The incident occurred on November 19, around 2 pm, when D'Lima was leaving a school in Ganesh Nagar, Kandivali. Three shooters, their faces concealed by masks, opened fire. One bullet struck his abdomen, and another hit his chest. Despite his severe injuries, D'Lima demonstrated remarkable presence of mind by driving himself to Oscar Hospital, where both bullets were successfully removed.
The Arrests and The Accused
The investigation led to a major breakthrough on Friday when the Mumbai crime branch arrested the four primary accused from a forest in Pune, where they were hiding. The arrested individuals include the three alleged shooters: Subhash Mohite (44) from Virar, Mangesh Chaudhari (40) from Pune, and Roshan Singh alias Krishna (25) from Thane. The fourth accused is the alleged mastermind, Rajesh Chauhan.
In a separate but connected action, the Charkop police had already arrested Munna Mayuddin Shaikh alias Guddu on Thursday. Guddu is accused of assisting the shooters in their escape from Mumbai to Pune. Police records indicate that Guddu has a criminal history, having been arrested under MCOCA in 2019 and being out on bail for the past year.
Criminal Histories and Ongoing Probe
Further digging into the backgrounds of the accused has revealed prior criminal involvements. Rajesh Chauhan was previously arrested in connection with the murder of Bunty Pradhan, the owner of Dolphin Properties, which occurred in Mira Road back in April 2014. The crime branch official stated that they are actively working to gather more detailed information about his past activities.
The case was initially handled by the Charkop police but was subsequently transferred to Crime Branch Unit 11 for a more intensive investigation. A crime branch official commented on the operation, stating, "It took the crime branch team more than a day to arrest all the four accused including shooters in Pune. The investigation is going on and more clarity will come soon." The police custody until November 27 will allow investigators to interrogate the accused thoroughly and uncover any further connections or motives behind the planned attack.
