5 years after 'accident' death, Mumbai Police uncovers murder plot, 4 arrested

Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested four men in a 2021 Sindhudurg death first treated as a road accident. Investigators now allege Ashpaq Mulani was killed by his associates over a money dispute and dumped in a gorge.

In Short

• Ashpaq Mulani's body and motorcycle were found in a Phonda Ghat ravine
• Kankavali Police initially filed an accidental death report and later chargesheet
• Crime Branch tip-off linked six associates to a suspected loan racket

What was believed to be a fatal road accident in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district nearly five years ago has now been exposed as a meticulously planned murder, with Mumbai Crime Branch arresting four men accused of killing their friend and dumping his body in a gorge to cover up the crime.

The victim, Ashpaq Mulani alias Nihal, a native of Malshiras in Solapur district who was residing in Baramati, was found dead along with his motorcycle in a deep ravine at Phonda Ghat in December 2021. At the time, Kankavali Police treated the case as an accidental death. About a year later, a case of rash and negligent driving was registered and a chargesheet filed, with investigators never suspecting foul play.

The breakthrough came after Mumbai Crime Branch's Unit 7 received a tip-off indicating that Mulani's death was not an accident but a murder allegedly carried out by six of his associates and business partners.

Acting on the information, the Crime Branch arrested Manoj Narayan Bhandge, Surendra Chandrahas Sonavdekar, Atish Bhagavan More and Ruturaj Shetty from Mumbai Metropolitan Region locations, including Mira Road, Navi Mumbai and Thane. Two other accused, Amit Raut and Manoj Bhandari, remain absconding.

According to investigators, the accused and the victim were involved in a loan consultancy business operating out of Kudal in Sindhudurg district. Police alleged that the group ran a fraudulent racket promising loans from banks and non-banking financial companies in exchange for commissions.

Investigators said the murder was triggered by a dispute over approximately Rs 2 lakh.

On December 5, 2021, Mulani was allegedly called to Omkar Deluxe Resort in Kudal for a meeting and party. During the gathering, an argument broke out over financial transactions. Police said the six accused then allegedly assaulted Mulani with sticks inside a hotel room, resulting in his death.

To conceal the crime, the accused allegedly placed Mulani's body in the boot of an Innova SUV, while one of them rode his motorcycle. They then travelled nearly 50 kilometres to Phonda Ghat, a mountainous stretch known for its deep valleys and gorges.

There, police said, the accused dumped Mulani's body, his bag and his motorcycle into a deep gorge to create the impression that he had died in a road accident.

The body was discovered about 22 days later, leading to the registration of an accidental death report. Mulani's family had also lodged a missing person complaint at Baramati Police Station in Pune district in December 2021.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Navnath Dhavale of the Mumbai Crime Branch said investigators matched the intelligence received by Unit 7 with records from the Kankavali accident case before moving in on the suspects.

"Our team received information regarding the case and gathered details about the deceased. The information matched the accident case registered by Kankavali Police. The accused were then traced, detained and interrogated," Dhavale said.

The arrested accused have been handed over to Kankavali Police, which is expected to register murder charges and conduct further investigation into the case, including efforts to trace the two absconding suspects.

Police said some of the accused have previous cheating cases registered against them.

- Ends