Charge sheet implicates Chintan Upadhyay in double murder

Investigations into the murder of artist Hema Upadhyay and her lawyer Haresh Bhambhani has revealed several shocking aspects of the case. It was earlier speculated that Haresh was killed only because he had accompanied Hema to the crime scene. But probe revealed that the plan was, in fact, to murder both of them.

The police in its charge sheet has alleged that the arrested accused also told the police about a conspiracy meeting that had taken place at Chembur between them and Chintan a few days before the murders. A day before Hema and Haresh were murdered, Chintan had uploaded a Bollywood movie song, 'Alvida Alvida', on his Facebook page. The police have incorporated screen shots of the page in the charge sheet.

The police have alleged that one of the accused, Vijay Rajbhar, had admitted of having murdered Hema and Haresh along with accomplices Vidyadhar Rajbhar, Pradeep Rajbhar, Shivkumar Rajbhar and a juvenile accused.

He also showed the police his tempo that was used to ferry the bodies. Following his directions, the tempo and the car in which Hema and Haresh had travelled till Kandivli were seized. Vijay also told the police that plan to eliminate them was made by Vidyadhar and in order to carry out the job he had also taken a go-down at Gandhi Nagar in Kandivli on rent. In the said go-down, he had also prepared and kept two wooden boxes ready. The plan was to keep the bodies in the boxes and abandon them in some isolated place. Vijay then led the police to seizure of the boxes.

CCTV of a shop that was situated near the fabrication unit of Vidyadhar Rajbhar at Lalji Pada in Kandivli captured images of Vidyadhar, Vijay, Pradeep, the tempo used in the crime and Hema and Haresh. The CCTV footage confirmed presence of Hema and Haresh with Vidyadhar and other accused in the intervening night of December 11 and 12. CCTV of a housing society building at Dhanukar Wadi in Kandivli also captured the tempo. Bodies of Hema and Haresh were found in a nullah at Dhanukar Wadi on December 12.

Another accused, Shivkumar, told the police that after the murder he had stolen Hema's diamond ring and later hid it somewhere. The police seized the ring.

"Pradeep Rajbhar told the police that on the evening of December 8, he along with Vidyadhar and Vijay had gone to Chembur in Vijay's tempo. There they met Chintan Upadhyay. Chintan guided Pradeep on how to speak to Hema. Chintan also spoke to Vidyadhar about giving them Rs20 lakh once Hema's job is done. Pradeep also showed the place where the alleged conspiracy meeting had taken place. Pradeep also admitted of having murdered Hema and Haresh along with his accomplices in a fabrication factory at Kandivli. He also told the police that he had hid the chloroform, clothes and left over tape used in the crime. Later, the police seized the items on the directions of Pradeep," the police alleged in their charge-sheet.

The Main accused in the case, Vidyadhar Rajbhar, had bought chloroform from Bengaluru on the instructions of Hema's husband Chintan, the police have alleged.