Custody for two in sawant murder case

Mumbai: Sohail Dodhiya and Ganesh Jogadand, the two arrested in the case relating to the murder of former Shiv Sena corporator Ashok Sawant, were remanded on Tuesday to police custody till January 18. The Samata Nagar police at Kandivali made the arrests based on the CCTV camera footage following the murder. Sawant was stabbed to death at the Thakur Complex in Kandivali late on Sunday. The police nabbed two persons following the incident. A murder case has been registered against and further investigation is underway.

Investigators are trying to trace the whereabouts of the three attackers, who hacked Sawant to death. They also include Jagdish Pawar, alias Jagga, who had issued threats to Sawant for unknown reasons. Meanwhile, officials have ruled out the possibility of the murder over a cable business or a redevelopment project. “We have secured their further custody and we will lookout for the attackers. The motive is unclear as of now. All accused are known to each other but Pawar’s arrests is important for clarity on the motive,” said a senior police officer.

A preliminary probe revealed that Sawant had been involved in a dispute with Jagga, for which the latter threatened him several times. Sawant had even lodged a complaint regarding this.