Bizman’s suicide: Two key accused held near Bharuch

Surat: Two key accused allegedly involved in driving 74-year-old businessman Durlabh Patel to suicide were caught near Bharuch toll plaza on Tuesday.
Raju Bharwad, 54, a resident of Laskana and Bhavesh Savani, 40, of Dabholi, were returning to Surat from Vadodara. They will be formally arrested after undergoing Covid-19 tests.
Police seized the car in which the duo was travelling, two mobile phones, one revolver worth Rs 1.50 lakh, six cartridges and cash Rs 1,07,200.Police suspect that the seized revolver is the same weapon that was used by Bharwad to threaten Patel in Rander police station.
Savani is engaged in land dealings while Bharwad has restaurant in the city.
It is suspected that they were returning from Rajasthan where they fled after their names cropped up.
In the one-page suicide note written by Durlabh, Savani is named first while Bharwad’s name figures after him. The businessman alleged that he was committing suicide due to constant harassment by the accused in a land dispute.
So far, police investigation revealed that Bharwad and Savani were engaged by other accused Kishore Koshiya and Kanaiyalal Narola. Koshiya had entered into an agreement to purchase the land with Durlabh in 2014 and had paid 75% of the money. Later, due to some dispute, Narola was involved as a partner. Since the dispute continued, Koshiya and Narola handed over the entire deal and ownership to Bharwad and Savani.
Later, Bharwad and Savani filed applications in Rander police station and sought police intervention accusing Durlabh of fraud. During inquiry of the applications, the then police inspector of Rander police station and one of the main accused, LP Bodana, called Durlabh and his son Dharmesh at police station several times and allegedly issued threats.
Rajkumar Pandian, IGP, Surat range, said, “It is also suspected that Durlabh’s younger son Jayant had involved journalist Mukesh Kulkarni and police constable of Udhna, Vijay Shinde to resolve the land dispute. We are also probing if the accused cops called the victim or the he himself went to the police station.”
Four policemen including Rander police inspector have been suspended after preliminary inquiry.