Manoj Mhatre Murder: Police book Congress corporator’s cousin Prashant Mhatre, 7 others

Narpoli police have booked Prashant Mhatre, cousin of the deceased, and seven others in connection with the murder of Congress corporator Manoj Mhatre last night.

Mhatre, a leader of Congress party in the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation, was attacked with sharp weapons (koyta) by the assailants and then fired at from point blank range near his house on Tuesday night.

His brother, Prashant Mhatre, was a prime suspect since the beginning. DCP Bhiwandi Zone-II Manoj Patil has assured that all eight accused would soon be in police custody.

According to sources, Mhatre’s supporter Umashankar alias Mulayam Yadav of Ramnagar had recently been threatened by the opposition members, for which he filed the complaint at Narpoli police station.

The attack took place when he was returning home from the police station.

The incident was also caught on his building’s CCTV camera. Recorded at 9:43 pm, it shows the assailants shooting Mhatre with a rifle and assaulting him.

After the attack, the accused fled in a four-wheeler without number plate. The corporator was subsequently rushed to Jupiter Hospital at Thane, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Senior police officers rushed to the spot and a murder case was registered at Narpoli police station.

“A case has been registered and teams have been formed to identify and arrest the accused,” said Parag Manere, DCP, Thane Crime Branch had said following the incident.

DCP Patil had earlier stated that Mhatre was the resident of Kalwa of Bhiwandi taluka, but shifted to Oswal Wadi in Thane due to personal enmity. According to police, this was not the first attempt on Mhatre’s life.

Another official confirmed that a family rivalry existed between the two brothers since earlier.