Two arrested for murder of Bhiwandi Congress corporator

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the murder of Congress corporator from Bhiwandi township in neighbouring Thane district, police said.
Manoj Mhatre (53), a corporator from Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation in the powerloom town, was allegedly attacked with sharp weapons and then fired at from point-blank range by some men on Tuesday night, following which he died.
The two accused -- Mahesh Pandit Mhatre and Mayur alias CoCo Prakash Mhatre -- were detained by Bhiwandi police last night and arrested this morning.
Police had earlier registered a case against the corporator's cousin Prashant Mhatre (35), who is absconding, and seven others in connection with the killing.

The case was registered on the basis of the statement of Manoj's driver, who was a witness to the incident.
On Tuesday, Manoj had gone to Narpoli police station to file a complaint about threats issued to his supporter Umashankar, alias Mulayam Yadav, of Ramnagar area.

When he returned to his residence at Samrudhi Building in Bhiwandi's Oswal Wadi area, some men waiting outside the complex attacked him. The attackers first shot one round at him and after he fell, they stabbed him with choppers and later fled in a car.
Manoj was rushed to Jupiter Hospital in Thane where he died during treatment.

The assault was captured in a CCTV camera installed in the building, even as other witnesses confirmed that Prashant was present at the spot.
Manoj, a three-time Congress corporator, was also leader of the house in the Bhiwandi-Nizampur civic body.
Police said Manoj had personal as well as political differences with Prashant, the son of his uncle Bhaskar Mhatre (65), who launched Manoj in politics in 2002.