CBI takes over probe in former corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar’s murder

MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case in the murder of former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar on the order of the Bombay high court to take over the investigation from Mumbai police. Ghosalkar was shot dead by businessman Mauris Noronha alias ‘Mauris Bhai’ at the former’s Borivali office during a Facebook Live session on February 8 this year. The businessman had shot himself dead after the crime.

On September 6, the HC transferred the murder case’s probe to the CBI, saying the police did not probe some angles properly and a deeper investigation was required. The HC had issued the order while hearing a writ petition filed by Ghosalkar’s wife, corporator Tejasvee. The petition alleged that the Mumbai Crime Branch did not investigate all possible angles and the likely involvement of some other persons in the conspiracy to kill her husband. Acting on HC’s directions, the CBI on Friday re-registered the case’s First Information Report, which was originally lodged by Borivali West’s MHB Colony police station on a complaint from a grocery shop owner, and entrusted the probe to an IPS officer of Deputy Inspector General rank, Saayli S Dhurat.

The FIR was filed for the offence of “murder by use of firearms” under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act. The CBI case was registered against “unknown person/persons”, a CBI source said. As per the MHB Colony police station’s case FIR, Ghosalkar was killed at around 7 pm on February 8 this year.

The 41-year-old former corporator was allegedly killed by Noronha, during a live-streaming session on Facebook. Noronha had allegedly invited Ghosalkar to his office, on a pretext, and shot him during their conversation. The probe by the Crime Branch revealed that Noronha had allegedly used the licensed gun of his bodyguard to kill Ghosalkar and later, himself. Accordingly, the bodyguard had been arrested after being booked under relevant sections of the Arms Act.

“We have gone through the investigation papers and found that there are some loose ends/ areas which have not been examined by the police,” the HC had said while transferring the case to CBI. “The maze of suspicious circumstances has not been pierced and solved and most importantly, some vital aspects which ought to have been investigated have not been investigated.” The court deemed it appropriate to transfer the case to the CBI “so as to retain public confidence and ensure that justice is done”.

The HC had also directed the Crime Branch to hand over all the case papers to the central agency within two weeks. It also directed the CBI to depute an IPS officer not below the rank of a superintendent of police to conduct further investigation in the case.