4 remanded in judicial custody for British national's murder

Mumbai, Jan 3 (UNI) The judicial custody of four persons, arrested in connection with the murder of a British national on December 11 last year at Malsai village near Roha in Raigad district has been extended till January 6 by a local court.

Stephen Bennett, from Cheltenham, was murdered by a group of irate villagers for allegedly molesting a woman.

The local police had, on December 19, arrested Ramesh Maruti Mane 38, Vithoba Maruti Mane, 21, Nathuram Ganpat Mohite 35 and Kashinath Sitaram Marathe, 40 and booked them under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing diappearance of evidence) read with 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. Two others -- Gajanan Malusure, 35 and Ravindra Dalvi, 36, wanted in connection with the murder, are absconding.

Earlier upon their arrest, the four persons were remanded in police custody by a local court till December 22 and, thereafter, in judicial custody, Roha police officials told UNI.

Bennett had allegedly molested the wife of one of the arrested persons, Ramesh Mane, in the wee hours of December 11. Ramesh and some of his relatives, angered over the incident, had allegedly strangulated the British national to death on the same day.

UNI