Mumbai double murder: ‘Supari’ giver shot himself in a leg to cry ‘kidnap’

NAVI MUMBAI: A week after two real estate agents were reported missing, only for their bodies to be found over the next few days, the double-murder was solved with police finding that one of them had given a 'supari' to kill the other, but he too ended up getting killed by the same killers. Five of the six accused, all history-sheeters, were arrested Wednesday while one is absconding.
While the body of Sumit Jain (39), who had hired the contract killers, was found on Pen-Khopoli Road on Aug 23, that of the originally intended victim, Amir Khanzada (42), was found near Karnala bird sanctuary on Aug 27.
The arrested include Jain's partner Vithal Nakade (43). DCP (Zone 1) Pankaj Dahane told TOI Nakade and Jain had bought a 3.5-acre land in Pali, Raigad, for around Rs 2 crore by producing a fake landowner for registration; the real owner was dead. "As Khanzada was aware of the fraud, he demanded a share in the deal from Jain, who then decided to eliminate him... Jain offered Rs 50 lakh to Nakade for hiring contract killers," said Dahane.
After the murder, when the killers asked for payment, Jain allegedly claimed he had offered them Rs 25 lakh.
Police said Jain had several criminal cases of cheating against him in similar offences of producing fake land owners and then selling these properties.
ACP (crime) Ajay Landge told TOI that on Aug 21, Jain told Khanzada they had to attend a meeting for some property in Raigad. “The two met in Nerul to drive down together in Khanzada’s car. As planned by Jain, Khanzada was shot dead in the car by one of the contract killers. Jain too shot himself in one of his legs as he planned to pretend that Khanzada was killed in a kidnapping attempt while he somehow escaped. His plan was to go to a police station and narrate the incident to cops,” said Landge.
The six drove towards the Karnala bird sanctuary to dump Khanzada’s body. “While travelling along Pen-Khopoli Road, the contract killers as ked for payment. Jain allegedly claimed he had offered them Rs 25 lakh while the contract killers insisted Nakada had promised them that Jain would pay Rs 50 lakh. As Nakade and the killers suspected foul play on part of Jain, one of them stabbed him in the same leg which had the bullet injury and dumped him by the roadside on Pen-Khopoli Road. As Jain lay undiscovered for two days, he died of excessive bleeding from the bullet and stab injuries,” said Landge.
Besides Jain’s partner Vithal Nakade (43), the others arrested are contract killers Virendra Kadam (24) from Kanjurmarg, Ankush Sitapure (35) from Ulhasnagar, Jaisingh alias Raja Mudliyar (38) from Badlapur and Anand alias Andry Cruz (39) from Nerul.