An RTI activist and police informer, Gurusidappa Waghmare (50), was murdered inside a spa center named Soft Touch in Worli. Waghmare had a tattoo on his thighs listing 22 names, indicating they would be responsible if he were killed. The Crime Branch has detained four people, and the Worli police have arrested the spa owner, Santosh Sherekar. A police officer revealed that Santosh Sherekar paid ₹6 lakhs for Waghmare’s murder.
Waghmare was killed on Tuesday night at Soft Touch Spa, and the case is being investigated by Mumbai Crime Branch Units 3 and 5. CCTV footage led to the identification and arrest of Mohammad Firoz Ansari (28) and Sakib Ansari(28). On Tuesday night, as Waghmare left Aparna Bar in Sion and headed to the Worli spa, Firoz and Sakib followed him on the Activa. Waghmare was accompanied by his female friend and two spa employees. They arrived at the spa around 12:30 AM, and the employees left around 1:30 AM. Shortly after, two men in raincoats entered and murdered Waghmare with a sharp weapon.
After the murder, the assailants went to Kandivli on the Activa and abandoned it there. Firoz went to his home in Nalasopara, while Sakib took a train to Delhi. The Crime Branch traced and arrested Firoz in Nalasopara, who revealed that Sakib had left Mumbai by train. The Crime Branch contacted the Railway Police Force (RPF) in Kota, sharing Sakib’s details and photo. The RPF apprehended Sakib and two companions when the train arrived in Kota. A Crime Branch team is en route to Kota to bring them to Mumbai.
A police officer mentioned that Waghmare had been gathering information on SPA in and around Mumbai since 2010, filing complaints with local police and extorting money from SPA owners. Sherekar and Firoz Ansari were troubled by Waghmare. A year ago, a complaint by Waghmare led to a police raid on Firoz’s SPA in Nalasopara, shutting it down. Firoz harboured resentment, and Sherekar, frustrated by Waghmare’s complaints about his spa, offered ₹6 lakhs for his murder.
Firoz and Sakib tracked Waghmare, using part of the money to buy a ₹700 pair of scissors used in the murder. After killing Waghmare, they took his gold chain and ring. Firoz and Sakib bought tobacco at a shop in Sion and paid online, which helped police trace them. Waghmare’s complaints against spa centers were used by rival spa owners to target competitors. He had filed complaints against spas in Gujarat and Rajasthan as well.
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Police found several diaries at Waghmare’s home, written in red, green, and blue ink, detailing his activities. Green ink was used for positive events, red for conflicts, and blue for general notes. The diaries also documented his earnings and expenditures from spas. Worli police have arrested Santosh Waghmare and presented him in court, which remanded him in police custody until July 30. The Mumbai Crime Branch has handed over Mohammad Firoz Ansari to Worli police for further investigation. The team is bringing the three detained in Kota to Mumbai, where they will also be handed over to Worli police.
Gurusidappa Waghmare’s birthday was on July 17, and he was at Soft Touch Spa on July 23 to celebrate his female friend’s birthday. They went to a bar in Sion and returned to the spa around 12:30 AM. The spa employees left at 1:30 AM, and shortly after, two men entered and killed Waghmare. He had eight FIRs and 22 NCs against him, including charges of extortion and rape.