Court turns crime scene

Mumbai: The city sessions court in south Mumbai witnessed high drama on Thursday when Uday Pathak, the main accused in a 2011 quadruple murder case, made an alleged  bid on the life of the case approver Kalpesh Patel, with a small chopper. However, police personnel, who were present at the spot, managed to disarm and control him. Just before launching the attack, he had warned Patel, saying, “Mein tujhe jaan se maar doonga,” in true Hindi film style.

Pathak is the main accused in the Kurar murder case, where he had killed four people. Patel is also an accused in the same case.

While Patel was rushed to the state-run JJ Hospital for treatment for the cuts on his right-shoulder and cheek that he received, Pathak was arrested by the Colaba police, which is probing the attempt-to-murder case.

The police will investigate how Pathak, who was brought to court from the Arthur Road central prison under police escort, managed to smuggle the weapon inside. According to the cops, he allegedly hid the chopper inside one of his slippers.

According to the Colaba police officials, the incident took place in Court No 17. “After the case was over, both the approver and accused were in the corridor of the court, when Pathak attacked Patel in anger. Though we controlled him immediately, Patel sustained some injuries on his right shoulder and cheek and was bleeding. We have registered a case against Uday Pathak at Colaba Police station under section 307, 332, 353 of The IPC and the investigation is on.”  

On June 6, 2011, the partially charred and naked bodies of Chetan Dhule (24), Dinesh Ihire (26), Ganesh Karanje (24) and Bharat Kudle (27) were found in the deserted hillocks of Appapada, behind Kurar village. They had been kidnapped, one by one, in an autorickshaw, marched to the foot of the hill and then murdered, allegedly by local toughie Pathak and his gang members.