Maha: Three held for killing Air India employee

Three persons were arrested for allegedly kidnapping and killing a 59-year-old Air India engineer over non-payment of loan, police said.

The Mumbai police's crime branch arrested Jayantibhai Bailalbhai Patel (64), Gopal alias Lilabhai Parmar (27) and Rajubhai Rambhai Aagath (35) from Ahmedabad and Junagad in Gujarat, an official said.

The crime came to light on November 24, when the Gujarat police found the body of Andheri resident Dipak Amrutlal Panchal in Brahmani dam, he said.

The deceased's family had registered a missing person's complaint at Andheri police station, when he failed to come home on September 29, the official said.

During the course of investigation, the police found that there was a witness to the crime, who had taken a loan of Rs 54 lakh from the three accused with Panchal as a middle man in the deal, he said.

Based on the information, the police launched a hunt for the suspects, who absconded for two months and even switched off their phones.

The accused were finally traced to Junagad and Ahmedabad through mobile tower locations of the phone numbers they used while on the run, he said, adding that the trio was brought to the city on Wednesday.

"On interrogation, the accused confessed that they had killed the victim over non-payment of Rs 54 lakh loan for which he played the middle man," senior inspector Sunil Mane of unit-10 said.

The accused informed that they had taken Panchal to Brahmani dam, killed him, tied his body to a concrete pole and wrapped it in a blanket, before throwing it into the reservoir, he said.