The Vanrai Police arrested two individuals for allegedly murdering a homeless scrap collector following a dispute over the division of money earned from selling scrap in Goregaon, Mumbai.
The accused have been identified as Suresh alias Kaliya, a resident of Haryana, and Salim alias Nepali. Both were produced before a court, which remanded them to four days of police custody.
Body Found Near Hanuman Tekri
Police received information about an unidentified man lying unconscious near Hanuman Tekri in Goregaon. The injured man was immediately taken to Trauma Care Hospital in Jogeshwari East, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
Initially, police registered the case under an Accidental Death Report (ADR). However, during preliminary inquiries, officers noticed severe head injuries on the victim, raising suspicion of foul play.
Victim Identified After Investigation
Since the deceased had no identification documents, his identity remained unknown for some time. To identify him, police formed two investigation teams and circulated photographs among scrap collectors across the Goregaon–Dahisar belt.
After showing the photographs to around 50–70 scrap collectors, the victim was eventually identified as Azhar, who used to collect scrap with two associates — Suresh alias “Kaliya” and Salim alias “Nepali.”
Police found that both suspects had been missing since the day of the incident, further strengthening suspicion against them. Meanwhile, the post-mortem report confirmed that Azhar died due to injuries sustained during an assault.
Arrest of the Accused
Following the report, police registered a murder case and launched a search operation. Investigators traced Suresh alias Kaliya to Haryana and detained him for questioning.
During interrogation, he allegedly confessed that he and his associate Salim alias Nepali murdered Azhar after an argument over the distribution of money from selling scrap. According to police, the accused repeatedly struck Azhar on the head with a stone, causing fatal injuries.
Based on this confession, police later arrested Salim alias Nepali from the Pathanwadi area of Malad.
Police said further investigation into the case is ongoing.
