Neta's ex-PA, ex-cop held for murder of diamond merchant Rajeshwar Udani

Ten days after Ghatkopar-based diamond merchant Rajeshwar Udani went missing, two people have been arrested in connection with his disappearance and subsequent murder – one of them is the former personal assistant of a politician and the other is a suspended police constable. The police had also questioned a television actress in connection with the case.

The Pant Nagar police arrested Sachin Pawar, the ex-PA of a former MLA, on Saturday; and suspended cop Dinesh Pawar on Saturday. Dinesh already has a criminal case registered against him.

"The duo was known to Udani," said Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region) Lakhmi Gautam, adding, "While Sachin has been arrested on Saturday, Dinesh was already arrested on Friday in a rape case. Interrogation revealed that monetary dispute and Udani's unsavoury attention towards Sachin's female friend led to the murder. It was pre-meditated and more arrests are likely."

According to police, Udani had driven to Vikhroli on November 28 for a meeting. From there, he got into another car, with people he knew, and headed on Eastern Express Highway to Airoli and crossed over to Rabale.

The 57-year-old called up a close friend en route and told him he would be back in a few hours. When he didn't return home, his family lodged a missing persons complaint with the Pant Nagar police, which later became a kidnapping case.

On Tuesday, a decomposed body was found at Dehrang dam in Panvel taluka. On Friday, Udani's son Ronak identified the corpse as his father's.