Ahmedabad City Police apprehended two suspects within hours of the murder of Kanaiyalal Muljibhai Bhavsar (75), a resident of D/804 in Mohini Tower, Vastrapur. The incident occurred on January 13, between 10.45 am and 4.30 pm, when Bhavsar was strangled, and his gold ornaments, cash, mobile phones, and other valuables stolen.
Bhavsar, who held Canadian permanent residency, frequently visited Ahmedabad. He had two children settled in Canada, making his trips to the city a routine occurrence.
Following the discovery of Bhavsar’s body by his wife, Varshaben (67), the police were alerted. Initially registered as an accidental death, the case escalated after the post-mortem report confirmed strangulation as the cause of death. An FIR was subsequently lodged at the Vastrapur police station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Recognising the gravity of the crime, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad city, instructed a joint team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-1) Balaram Meena, Local Crime Branch officials, and officers from the Vastrapur police station. Leveraging technical surveillance and intelligence, the team successfully apprehended the suspects before they could flee Gujarat.
The accused were identified as Anand Prakash Thakor (29), resident of Gopalnagar, Memnagar, and Nilofar alias Heena Akbar Ali Shaikh (34), resident of Nuri Manzil, Virar, Mumbai, in Maharashtra.
The police recovered stolen items worth ₹3.7 lakh, including three Apple mobile phones, four wristwatches (Rado, Casio, and Lobor brands), Cash.
The investigation revealed that Heena, originally from Mumbai, had moved to Ahmedabad a few years ago to work at a spa, where she met Anand, a frequent visitor. They eventually married, with Heena continuing spa services privately, while Anand worked as an auto driver.
Heena first came into contact with Bhavsar around 18 months ago, visiting his residence 14 to 15 times whenever he visite Ahmedabad. Knowing Bhavsar’s NRI status and his possession of valuables, the couple planned to rob him.
Their plan involved Heena rendering Bhavsar unconscious during her visit, allowing Anand to enter the flat unnoticed and steal the valuables. However, the plan went awry when Bhavsar regained partial consciousness and confronted Anand. Panicked, the duo strangled Bhavsar and fled with the stolen items.
Balaram Meena, DCP Zone-1, stated, “The woman intentionally left the door unlocked, so her husband could enter easily. They were caught in the Relief Road area while attempting to sell one of the stolen mobile phones. CCTV footage helped us trace Anand’s auto-rickshaw and track down both suspects.”
Police also discovered flight tickets indicating the duo’s plan to escape to Mumbai. Both suspects are now in custody, and further investigations are underway to uncover additional details about their activities.