Luxury car bought using victim’s money

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

In a major development in the murder case of Rajabhau Londe, the prime accused Vishal Rathod has confessed to purchasing a Jaguar car (MH-12-NU-0333) for Rs 12 lakh from the Rs 65 lakh he had taken from the deceased. The remaining amount of over Rs 50 lakh is yet to be traced, raising further questions about its usage.

During the probe, it was revealed that the car, after meeting with an accident, had been kept for repairs at Bombay Auto Works garage in Konkanwadi. Police have seized the vehicle, but are yet to get satisfactory details regarding the remaining money and are now focusing on financial transactions. The investigation also saw confusion over the pistol used in the murder. Initially, the accused claimed he had purchased it from Ujjain, misleading the police team. However, he later changed his statement and, after sustained interrogation, admitted to procuring it from Khatushyam. A police team is now preparing to travel there. Following earlier leads related to mobile gaming, police are now focusing on tracing the weapon source, financial transactions, and possible accomplices. A team is also likely to take the accused to Pune to recover a mobile phone allegedly hidden there.

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Custody extended

The main accused Vishal Rathod and co-accused Karan Adhe were produced before the court, where district and sessions judge S. R. Pawar extended their police custody till March 25. Assistant public prosecutor Ajit Ankush sought the extension to probe the missing funds, source of the pistol, and other accomplices. Investigators indicated that more names may emerge in the case.