On Tuesday, while patrolling the Chembur Camp area Police Inspector (Crime) from the RCF police station nabbed Sunil Sisodiya alias Banda (23) who had orchestrated the robbery and murder of Subash Chari in January 2005. He had involved Vishal Kamalkishor Chari (18), Shripal Gulabsingh Sisodiya (40), Genuva Sisodiya and Sanjay Sisodiya in the plan, say the police.

“The accused and Chari hailed from the same village in Madhya Pradesh and therefore Banda was a frequent visitor at Chari’s residence in Chembur Camp. Chari, during his visits, learnt of a peculiar arrangement between the father and the daughters whereby he would come to Mumbai every six months to take away a part of his daughters’ earnings back home. His daughters worked as bar dancers and preferred to keep their savings at home rather than in a bank and the accused were aware of this,” said RCF’s Police Inspector (Crime) Shailesh Pasalwar.

Chari had arrived in Mumbai in December 2004 and had stayed on till the next month. A few minutes after midnight on January 10, when both the girls had gone to work, the five accused stealthily entered Chari’s house. “Sunil Sisodiya had been planning the crime from five months before and he knew the girls’ schedules. They had come prepared with the intention of killing Chari. They switched on the television at a high pitch to block out Chari’s screams. While two of them strangulated him with a dupatta, the other slashed his throat with a knife and the remaining put an iron chain around his neck and tightened it till he died. Then they opened the cupboards and fled with 13 tolas of gold and Rs 2.15 lakh cash,” said Assistant Police Inspector Rajesh Kewale who is a part of the investigation.

Chari’s daughters had found his blood-soaked body under a mattress when they returned and filed a complaint at the RCF police station who issued an immediate alert. Their vigil led to the arrests of Vishal and Shripal who revealed that Sisodiya, who had made the plan, also amassed most of the stolen booty. They were acquitted by the court.

“We sold the gold and spent all the money in bars. Now I am in jail while the other four are back in Kanchanpur, our village in Madhya Pradesh. When I came to Mumbai, I worked in the kitchen of Congress house at Grant Road but then learnt how to commit thefts. But the others had an enmity with Chari and plotted the murder. I admit that I committed robberies but not the murder,” said Sisodiya, who is presently lodged at the RCF police lockup.