Brothers stabbed during immersion, one died, other critical

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Crime Branch (CB) has arrested four persons for allegedly stabbing two brothers multiple times at Ghatkopar West on Tuesday, leading to the death of one and causing grievous injuries to the other. While the younger brother, Paresh Gontal, 28, died in hospital, the elder, Prathamesh Gontal, 31, is battling for his life in the same hospital.
The stabbing incident occurred around 7:30pm when a Ganesh immersion procession was passing by the victims’ house and an argument broke out between the two brothers and four of the participants – Tausif Yakub Ansari, 25, Karan Ganesh Shinde, 26, Nikhil Kalyan Kamble, 19, Roshan Narendra Shirmulla, 26, who are residents of Ramji Nagar and Barve Nagar of Bhatwadi in Ghatkopar West. All four are history sheeters with numerous cases registered against them. In fact, they had attacked and killed a friend of the victims, Sushil Sonawane, in 2020 for which they went to jail and came out a few months ago. Ever since their release, verbal spats had been occurring frequently between the four and the two brothers. However, on the immersion day, the spats took a fatal turn when the accused took out knives they were carrying and started stabbing the brother duo indiscriminately.
Paresh was stabbed 15 times on his head, chest, and hand while Prathamesh was stabbed four to five times on his head, abdomen and hand. Both were rushed to the Rajawadi hospital where Paresh died during treatment, said a crime branch official.
A police team visited the hospital and recorded the statement of Prathamesh and registered a case of murder and attempted murder against the four accused. The crime branch team of unit 7 started conducting a parallel investigation. After the accused’s names were revealed by the victim, police managed to arrest accused Karan Shinde from Ghatkopar and then Nikhil Kamble, Tausif Ansari and Roshan Shirmulla from Sakinaka area. After medical examination, they were handed over to Ghatkopar police for further action. A case was registered under section 103 (1) (murder), 109 (attempt to murder), 115(2) (causing hurt to any person), 351(3) (criminal intimidation by treating to cause death or grievous hurt) and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
All four accused are notorious in the area and were involved in several offences in the past. Karan Shinde is the group leader and have nine cases registered against him in Ghatkopar police station including assault, causing grievous hurt and three attempts to murder while Roshan Shirmulla has four cases registered against him, of which two are attempt to murder, one molestation and one assault. Ansari and Kamble also have cases of attempt to murder and causing grievous hurt registered against them respectively.