Police today claimed to have cracked the robbery-cum-murder case of an accountant, working with an angadia (courier) firm in south Mumbai's Bhuleshwar within 24 hours, with the arrest of a 29-year-old man from Bhayander in the neighbouring Thane district, police said.
Accused Himanshu Shah (29) was trapped at Bhayander in Thane district at about 11.15 PM last night, police said.
Shah confessed to the crime and recovery process of stolen money of Rs 3.7 lakh was underway, police said at V P Road police station.
Victim Vinod Patel (35) was found in a pool of blood on the first floor room of Bhagatwadi Chawl in Bhuleshwar by the courier company manager Pragnesh Rawal yesterday afternoon, police said.
The house in which Patel was found murdered was owned by the father of Himanshu, who knew that his tenant possessed lakhs of rupees because of his business.
As there was no forced entry, police suspected the killing was engineered by the one who was known to the victim.
While probing the case, the investigators have retrieved the footage of the CCTV from Kishan Jayesh Angadia Company, located exactly opposite the room where the murder happened.
"The CCTV footage clearly showed a man entering the house and leaving after a while. Upon inquiry, the man was identified as Himanshu Shah," the officer said.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team was immediately dispatched to Bhayander and a trap was laid near 'Devchhaya' building in Bhayander, where he was spotted at about 11.15 PM yesterday.
"Shah was arrested and produced before a court today which remanded him in police custody till December 21," police added.
