Three labourers from Odisha arrested for killing colleague in Maharashtra

The police have arrested three construction workers from Odisha for killing their colleague after he apparently refused to hand over his phone to one of them to make a call, an official said on Thursday.

The police began an investigation after a man’s body was found with multiple injuries in a pond in Ambernath, on the outskirts of Mumbai, on September 4. He was identified as Lalji Sahay (32), a construction worker.

Senior Inspector Ashok Bhagat of Shivaji Nagar police station said a probe revealed that the victim, who worked at a site in Ambernath Palegaon MIDC area, was killed by his co-workers, all from Odisha.

According to the official, one of the accused wanted to use the victim’s mobile phone to make a call to his village but the latter refused.

Angered by the refusal, the three accused hit his head with a stone and attacked him with an iron rod, killing him. They then dumped the body in a pond.

The official said intelligence inputs helped the police track down the accused, who were identified as Shambu Manji, Manodeep and Chila Manji.

The police suspect another person was also involved in the crime. The probe is on, added the official.