Thane Crime News: Man Arrested In Uttar Pradesh 26 Years After Bhiwandi Powerloom Owner’s Murder

The Thane Central Unit of the Crime Branch arrested a man who had been absconding for the past 26 years in Uttar Pradesh, in connection with the kidnapping, murder and ransom of a powerloom owner. The accused has been identified as Vinod Kumar Gupta (49). His two associates include Raju Mehta alias Bishansingh Sawant, who is still absconding, and Kamlesh Uppadhyay, who was arrested earlier.

According to the police, after the murder, two of the accused fled the scene while Uppadhyay was arrested later. Constable Dadasaheb Patil, who was involved in the investigation, gathered crucial clues about the absconding accused. Based on technical intelligence, a team tracked down Gupta and alerted their superiors. A police team was dispatched to Uttar Pradesh and apprehended Gupta on April 22. He was produced in a local court, which granted a three-day transit remand.

Gupta was brought to Thane and presented in court. Police stated that the absconding accused, Raju Mehta, had worked at the victim’s powerloom factory. Together with Gupta and Uppadhyay, he planned the kidnapping for ransom.

On May 28, 1999, they disconnected the factory’s electricity. The victim, Jigar Mahendra Mehta, arrived at the factory at midnight to restore power after being alerted.

The trio administered an injection that rendered Mehta unconscious and stole his gold ornaments and cash. Raju then allegedly killed Mehta by slashing his throat with a sharp weapon. The accused transported the body on a scooter and dumped it on farmland in Thakur Pada. Later, they went to Mumbai on the same scooter, searched for an STD/PCO booth, and called the victim’s family to demand a ransom of Rs10 lakh, claiming Mehta had been abducted. They threatened to kill him if the ransom was not paid.

Police said Gupta had been studying at Jija Bai College in Bandra, pursuing a Bachelor of Electro-Homeopathy Medicine and Surgery. He was allegedly lured into participating in the murder by Raju Mehta, with the promise of money. Gupta had been hiding in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for the past 26 years and had even opened a medical store during that time. The incident took place at a powerloom factory in Bhiwandi on May 29, 1999, with Jigar Mahendra Mehta as the victim.