Thane, Maharashtra: The Thane Rural Police’s Local Crime Branch (LCB) has solved the murder case of an unidentified elderly man whose body was discovered on October 6 near Ahilyanagar along the Kalyan–Murbad highway.
The man, later identified as Rajesh Shantilal Thakkar, also known as Raju Chacha, aged around 60, was found strangled with a red-and-white rope and dumped in roadside bushes to destroy evidence. A case under Sections 103(1) and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the Tokawade police station.
Considering the brutality of the crime, SP Dr. D.S. Swami and Additional SP Anmol Mittal launched parallel investigations, forming multiple probe teams led by Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Gite of the LCB. Teams combed through CCTV footage, checked missing persons reports across Maharashtra, and tracked suspicious vehicles, but initial attempts to identify the victim proved unsuccessful.
Through technical analysis led by PSI Mahesh Kadam, investigators eventually identified the deceased as Thakkar from Katemanivali, Kalyan. Following interrogation, police zeroed in on Thakkar’s stepson, Naveed Latif Syed (28), who confessed to committing the crime along with his mother, Asha Latif Syed (55), and brother, Nazim Latif Syed (26).
According to police sources, Asha was allegedly frustrated with Thakkar’s persistent harassment, which led the family to plot his murder. All three accused have been arrested and handed over to the Tokawade police for further investigation.
The operation was carried out by the LCB team and cyber unit, under the guidance of senior officers. The investigation into the case is ongoing.
