Mumbai: Real Estate Developer Shot in Charkop Over Financial Dispute
Mumbai: Investigations into the shooting of Charkop-based real estate developer Freddy D'Lima have revealed that it was likely the result of a financial dispute between D'Lima and one of the arrested accused.
The five accused were produced before the Esplanade court on Saturday and remanded in Crime Branch custody until November 27. On November 19, D'Lima and his employee, Raju Jadhav, went to meet an acquaintance at a Charkop school. CCTV cameras outside the school captured a man wearing a helmet suddenly approaching D'Lima and firing two bullets into him. He fired a third round at Jadhav, who managed to duck. The assailant then ran for some distance and joined his two accomplices waiting on a bike.
As the trio fled, D'Lima drove to Oscar Hospital in Kandivli, where he underwent surgery to remove the bullets. The Charkop police registered an attempted murder case and arrested one Munna Shaikh, alias Guddu, on November 20. Shaikh has a notorious criminal history, with 12 criminal offences registered against him in the past, including vehicle theft, robbery, break-in, attempted murder, and intimidation.
On November 21, a Mumbai Crime Branch team chased and arrested four other accused in a village in Pune. They were identified as Rajesh Chauhan (42), Subhash Mohite (44), Mangesh Chaudhari (40), and Roshan Singh (25). According to a police source, the financial dispute between D'Lima and Chauhan appears to be the primary motive for the shooting. Chauhan allegedly asked his friends to open fire on D'Lima. D'Lima and Chauhan had previous disputes as well, added the officer.
Chauhan is also known to have worked in the real estate sector. Police are currently checking his past criminal record and gathering more information to piece together the full story behind the firing plot. D'Lima remains unconscious and under observation in a Kandivli hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICCU). The weapon used in the shooting has not yet been recovered.
The Crime Branch is working diligently to uncover all aspects of the case, ensuring that justice is served for the victim and his family. The community in Charkop has been left in shock by the violent incident, and local authorities are taking steps to enhance security in the area.
