3 held for conspiring to kill man in Thane; weapons, explosives seized

Thane: Police have arrested three persons who were allegedly planning to kill a man and seized weapons and explosives from them in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Wednesday.

The three persons were apprehended on Monday night near an auto-rickshaw stand in Ratandale village on the Mumbai-Agra highway on the basis of suspicion, an official from Shahapur police station said.

During a search, the police recovered three knives, a hand bomb, two gelatin sticks, a detonator, a motorcycle and a tempo from them, he said.

After their questioning, it came to light that they had allegedly planned to kill a local resident, who is a relative of the sister of one of the accused, for ill-treating her after her husband's death, the official said.

The accused obtained the weapons and explosives over the last fortnight. They were planning apprehend the man, who worked in a factory in Kalamgaon, on his way home, he said.

A case was registered against the three accused under Indian Penal Code sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 34 (common intention) and provisions of the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

Two of the accused, aged 30 and 33, hail from Bhiwandi in Thane, while another 40-year-old accused is from Bhandup in neighbouring Mumbai, the police said.