According to the Mahim police, Haji Ali Shavari Irani, the owner of Moon View restaurant was found strangled to death at 5.45 am by a bread vendor, Mohammed Khan. Khan, on his regular morning round at the restaurant, found the door open. On entering, he found Irani lying on the floor, his face covered with a towel. When Khan pulled aside the towel, he saw Irani's tongue hanging out and eyes bulging as if he was strangled to death. Khan immediately rushed to Irani's relative, Razak Saki Irani, at Dadar and informed him about the incident. They later returned to the hotel. They then called another of Irani's friend, Hasan Ahmed Irani, and reported the incident to the Mahim police station only at 7.50 pm. The body was later sent to the J J Coroner.

According to neighbouring shopkeepers, Irani, the owner of a typical Irani restaurant, situationat the junction of Road no 5 and Dilip Gupte Marg, was an introvert. He used to abuse the two servants working in the restaurant and was also rude to customers.

According to sub-inspector Harilal Rathod, Irani was murdered by an unknown person and nothing could be said about the reason behind the murder at this juncture. He did not rule out robbery or even an old servant who might have taken revenge. Senior police inspector Vasant Powar, has already informed Irani's only son in Iran about the death of his father. Irani has no other relative in Mumbai.

This is the fourth murder of an old person in the last 10 days in the city. In the first incident on June 13, a 65-year-old housewife, Uma Seth, was found murdered at her residence in Usha Kiran building near Peddar Road.

Vasudev and Tara Dalal, both 76, jumped to death from their eighth floor residence at Kemps Corner on June 15. The police suspect the couple's son and daughter-in-law. On June 16, 65-year-old John Domnic Francis Noronha was foundstrangled to death in his residence at Kurla and on June 19, 76-year-old Tejraj Sagarmal Dedawat was found strangled to death in his Andheri residence.