Money was motive behind murder: Prosecution informs court

Mumbai, Dec 3 (UNI) The Prosecution in BJP leader Pramod Mahajan's murder case today reiterated that money was the only motive behind the killing of the leader by his younger brother Pravin and claimed the threatening SMS sent by Pravin, that was displayed on Pramod's mobile, was genuine.

Special Public Prosecutor Nitin Pradhan asserted that the accused killed his elder brother only because the late leader refused to give Rs one crore as demanded by him.

He said this became clear from the SMS received by Pramod, few days before the incidence of firing, and also from depositions of BJP leader Gopinath Munde and Rekha Mahajan.

Mr Pradhan informed the court that negotiations between the accused and the slain leader were going on and when Pramod refused to give him Rs one crore, he had sent the threatening message.

Meanwhile, Rekha Mahajan, well aware of the negotiations, had informed Mr Munde about the demand and that was why Mr Munde, while taking Pramod to hospital, had reacted by saying that the accused had fired at him only because the demand was rejected.

Mr Pradhan also insisted that the SMS displayed on the late leader's mobile handset was genuine as the defence has failed to prove that the message was fabricated. He said proving that a received SMS could be easily fabricated in theory, does not prove that the SMS relied upon by the prosecution was a fabricated one and therefore the court will have to treat it as genuine electronic evidence.

He insisted that the court should consider the statement of Pramod enroute to Hinduja Hospital, after the incidence of firing, be taken as his dying declaration.

With this, the arguments of the prosecution were over and from tomorrow the defence will start its arguments.

UNI