THANE: Navi Mumbai police arrested two persons from Dehu Road in Pune for allegedly killing a man last November and dumping his body in a car on the Mumbai-Goa highway, a senior crime branch officer said on Tuesday.
The arrested accused are notorious criminals, he said, adding they fatally shot the victim as the latter had taken Rs 7 lakh from one of them under the pretext of selling gold at a cheaper price but failed to deliver.
The body of an unidentified man with bullet wounds was found in a car near Tara village on November 18 last year, DCP (crime) Amit Kale told reporters.
The deceased was later identified as a resident of Maval in Pune district.
The Panvel taluka police had registered a case of murder and Arms Act against unidentified killers.
Police checked CCTV camera footages from Panvel in Navi Mumbai and a stretch of the Mumbai-Goa highway during the investigation, Kale said.
Meanwhile, police received a tip-off that the victim was supposed to meet his two friends from Panvel.
The duo was later traced to Dehu Road near Pune and arrested.
They are notorious criminals with many serious cases registered against them, police said, adding one of them had been lodged in the Yerawada central jail for a year in connection with a case.
Police seized a country-made pistol and three rounds from one of the accused.
Another crime branch officer said the victim used to cheat people by promising them to sell gold at a cheaper price.
"The accused had also given him money for buying gold. However, the victim evaded giving them gold despite taking Rs 7 lakh. He was demanding Rs 2 lakh more from the accused which led to a quarrel and murder," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
