Bhiwandi Congress Leader Murder: Deceased’s Cousin Among 8 Booked

Manoj Mhatre was attacked by two men at his parking lot in Bhiwandi.

Congress Corporator attacked (Photo altered by The Quint)

A day after a Congress leader in Bhiwandi civic body was shot dead, police on Wednesday booked at least eight persons, including the cousin of the deceased, in connection with the case.

According to police, political rivalry was the motive behind the murder.

Manoj Mhatre, a corporator and leader of the party in Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) was fatally attacked last night around 9:30 pm at Oswalwadi in Bhiwandi by eight unidentified assailants as he returned home after attending a meeting, police said.

"Manoj's cousin Prashant Mhatre allegedly planned the murder as he wanted to get a party ticket from the deceased's ward for the upcoming municipal elections," Ashutosh Dumbre, Joint Commissioner of Police, Thane told PTI.

Also Read: Murder of Congress Leader Mhatre Captured on CCTV in Bhiwandi

"Narpoli police have booked eight persons, including Prashant, Manoj's driver, two attackers and others in this connection. No arrest has been made so far and four teams have been formed to nab the accused," he added.

According to Dumbre, Prashant wanted to contest the upcoming Bhiwandi civic body elections as a Congress candidate from the ward where Manoj was a sitting corporator.

In the past, Prashant’s father was a corporator from that ward and had strong rapport with local people, he said adding, “In the 2007 municipal corporation polls, Prashant’s father had insisted Manoj fight the civic polls as a Congress candidate as he did not want to be in the fray due to old age. Manoj had won that election and was becoming popular in the area.”

The CCTV footage of Mhatre’s parking lot shows two unidentified men attacking the 53-year-old with a gun and then a machete. Stunned by the sudden attack, Mhatre falls on the ground as one of the culprits shoots him in the chest, while the other hammers him with a machete.

Police have now arrested five persons in connection with the the incident, which took place around 9:30 pm on Wednesday.

Video Editor : Purnendu Pritam