Nine contract killers arrested

Mumbai, Aug 12 (UNI) Crime branch unit-III of city police have arrested nine contract killers for firing at union leaders of Pfizer company at Turbhe in Navi Mumbai and killing a senior citizen near Mahakali temple at Andheri last month.

Addressing mediapersons here today Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria said sleuths of crime branch unit-III had received information that a group of contract killers would be coming at Navi Mumbai to commit an offence.

The Crime Branch sleuths laid a trap and arrested Sanjay Sakharam Kadam (30), Kundan Gopal Singh Negi (24), Vijay Chandrakant Mahadik (29), Shyam Tambe alias Babu Rodrik (28) and Prasant Kudalkar alias Bhau (22).

During the interrogation they revealed that they had received a contract to eliminate Santosh Sawant, General Secretary and Santosh Bhosale, President of Pfizer Employee Union from Dharmesh Shah, who is presently languishing in Thane prison.

Dharmesh Shah was originally belonging to Chhota Rajan gang, Mr Maria added.

On the information provided by them police have arrested four others--Jitendra Potdar (36), Ganesh Jadhav (19), Rakesh Jadhav (19) and Sunil Narvekar (32).

They also confessed to killing Arjun Singh Ujwal Singh (65) on May 13 this year, at around 2245 hours near Mahakali temple, Andheri. They had received 'Supari' (Contract) through Dharmesh Shah, as there was some dispute of SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority) scheme project at Mahakali.

All the accused person are history sheeters, he added.

UNI ST-GS RN AG1943