Chintan Upadhyay held in double murder case

Following long interrogation lasting several hours over a week’s time, the Mumbai Police on Tuesday arrested Chintan Upadhyay in connection with the murder of his estranged wife Hema Hirani nee Upadhyay and her lawyer Harish Bhambani.

After overnight questioning, the 43-year-old artist was arrested by Kandivli police, who produced him before a magistrate’s court at Borivli, which had remanded him to police custody till January 1. Chintan was grilled by Crime Branch sleuths and teams of Kandivli police over the last few days.

The four other accused in the case—Azad Rajbhar, Pradeep Rajbhar, Vijay Rajbhar and Shivkumar Rajbhar alias Sadhu—were also produced before the magistrate on expiry of the remand and their police custody was extended till December 28.

Meanwhile, police teams continued the search operation for Vidyadhar Rajbhar alias Gotu, a metal fabricator, with whom Chintan was in regular touch and is suspected to have lured Hema and her lawyer into a trap to get them eliminated.

“We have arrested the fifth accused in the case and investigations are underway,” Additional Commissioner of Police (North Region) Fatehsingh Patil told reporters.

He, however, refused to divulge the exact role that Chintan had played in the murder of his ex-wife.

“He was part of the conspiracy,” a senior police officer said adding he was booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (punishment for murder), 120 (B) (punishment for criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence).

Chintan was under scanner after bodies of installation artist Hema (43) and Bhambani (65), wrapped in plastic.