HDFC official murdered near Mumbai; arrested cab driver was hired to kill, say police

india

Updated: Sep 10, 2018 18:24 IST

A cab driver says he was hired to kill HDFC Bank vice president Siddharth Sanghvi who was found murdered on Monday, five days after he was reported missing in Mumbai, police claim.

Sanghvi, 39, went missing after leaving his office in Kamala Mills compound on Wednesday.

On Thursday, his car with bloodstains and a knife was found in a place called Airoli in Navi Mumbai. The same day his phone was switched on for a few minutes in Navi Mumbai.

The Mumbai police on Saturday detained 20-year-old Sarfaraz Shaikh, a cab driver, who alleged Sanghvi’s murder was the fallout of “professional rivalry as he was promoted recently”, said sources. Four people, including a woman, were involved in the conspiracy, Shaikh allegedly told the police.

Police suspect Shaikh killed Sanghvi on Wednesday and dumped his body near Haji Malang, 40km away from Kalyan in Thane district neigbouring Mumbai.

Sanghvi lived with his wife and eight-year-old son in Malabar Hill in south Mumbai. Security cameras in Mumbai police control room and spots in Thane and Navi Mumbai haven’t captured Sanghvi’s car, said police, adding they are scanning other routes that Shaikh may have taken. Six teams have been formed to carry out the investigation.

Read: HDFC Bank VP murdered over professional rivalry: Suspect tells police