MUMBAI, APRIL 12: Three associates of Congress leader Tony Agarwal, chief accused in the drowning of five youths in Mulund on April 5, were arrested by Unit VI of the crime branch this morning. Agarwal was remanded to police custody on Sunday.The three, Bipin Dhanji Thakkar, Brijmohan alias Birju Sunderlalji Mundhra and Nitin Ganji Visariya were produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Usha Iyer at the Esplanade Court and remanded to police custody till Tuesday. Police have been directed to produce case diaries pertaining to the three accused.
According to the remand application, Thakkar accompanied one Sanjay Marathe, whose tempo was used for shifting the property of the complainant Nitin Desai from Maruti Arcade, Mulund. Thakkar collected youths for committing the offence as per Agarwal's instructions, and after the accident leading to the death of five youths, shifted the injured youngsters to Indira Nursing Home at Mulund for treatment.
Mundhra was also present at the scene ofoffence. On April 3, he and Thakkar signed a possession letter, issued by Desai to Agarwal, as witnesses. According to the letter, Desai has surrendered the possession of the premises to Agarwal. However, Desai produced a xerox copy of the said letter, along with a letter from his advocate, to police. In his statement, Desai said Agarwal, Thakkar and Mundhra fabricated documents by forging the signature of his wife Manjula. The third accused, Nitin Visaria, had removed the injured youths from the well and taken them to Indira Nursing Home.
Police said Agarwal asked his men to jump the wall to escape from the police despite being well aware that there was a well at a distance of 20-25 feet from the wall. While computers worth Rs 21.53 lakh were then stolen, property worth Rs 36 lakh was damaged. Property worth Rs 1.50 lakh has been recovered by police.
According to the First Information Report lodged by Desai at Mulund police station, on April 5, 10-15 persons broke into his computer training institute anddecamped with computers and other appliances. Police saw the accused fleeing and chased them. Eight of the youths who were trying to get away fell into the well, and five of them died. The three survivors have in their statements said they were paid Rs 100 each by Agarwal.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.