59-year-old man kidnapped, thrashed, killed over recovery of money

Mumabi Police’s Crime Branch on Thursday arrested three people from Gujarat for killing a 59-year-old man and dumping his body around a dam.

For two months Deepak Panchal’s (59) body was not recovered but it has been found now. Unit 10 of Mumbai Crime Branch arrested Jayantilalbhai Patel (64), Gopal Parmar (27) and Rajubhai Agat (35).

The police said that Deepak Panchal was picked up from near his house on September 29 by the accused and taken to Vadodara, Gujarat in a car. Enroute to Vadodara, Deepak Panchal was thrashed by the accused.

Deepak Panchal was taken to a farmhouse where he succumbed to his injuries. The accused then wrapped his body with a gunny bag and threw it around a dam at Morbi, Gujarat.

Gujarat Police found Deepak Panchal’s body all decomposed. They recovered a paper chit and some cash from the Deepak Panchal’s body. The police used the chit and came across a PNR number. Using that, they learnt of one of Deepak Panchal’s acquaintances which further helped the police crack the case.

Deepak Panchal’s body was found on November 23 and the police started tracing the accused in the case. The accused kept changing locations which gave the police a hard time nabbing them.

Police inspector Sunil Mane and assistant police inspector Dhananjay Chaudhary arrested the accused and solved the case nonetheless.

According to the police, main accused Patel is a money lender. He had given a loan of Rs 54 lakh to a person who has now turned witness in the case. Panchal was middleman in facilitating the loan and was given Rs 5 lakh as commission.

Panchal worked as an engineer with Air India on contract basis and had taken voluntary retirement. The accused had come to pick up the witness but he escaped and they kidnapped Panchal.