Mumbai: In a bid to mount pressure on two absconding culprits in the murder case of a Navi Mumbai-based real estate developer, the Mumbai crime branch has procured an order from a court in the neighbouring township which has asked the two to be present before it by this month-end.
"We have searched for the two accused Mahesh Bijlani and Anurag Garg - a builder and an architect respectively - but all in vain. We accordingly informed the court in Navi Mumbai, which issued an order asking the two accused to be present before or on August 31," said a crime branch official.
"This order has been pasted at their residences and their other properties," the official said, adding that if the culprits did not show up despite the order, then the court has an authority to declare them as proclaimed offenders and could order attachment of their properties.
Victim Sunil Lahoria was shot dead on February 16 outside his Navi Mumbai office. Home Department transferred the case from Navi Mumbai Police to Mumbai Crime Branch following allegations of bias in the investigations.
Nine accused had been earlier arrested in the case and these included shooters Venkatesh Shettiar, Wajid Qureshi, realty developers Suresh Bijlani, Sumit Bacchewar and retired `encounter specialist` Emmanuel Amolik.
In May, the Crime Branch filed a 1,800-page chargesheet in the Sessions Court in Thane.
Business rivalry is suspected to have led to the broad daylight murder, which was caught on CCTV camera.
PTI
