The prosecution on Tuesday examined a panch witness on the seizure of the CCTV footage that captured artist Hema Upadhyay and her lawyer Harish Bhambhani outside a housing society on Smashanbhumi Road at Dhanukarwadi before they were allegedly killed.
The Dindoshi sessions court is hearing the double murder case.
Police claimed that the building is located on the backside of the warehouse where the duo was purportedly smothered. The video footage they seized from the society also showed three accused – Vidhyadhar Rajbhar, Vijay Rajbhar and Pradeep Rajbhar – and the tempo used for transporting and disposing of the bodies.
Advocate Anil Jadhav, appearing for Pradeep and Shivkumar Rajbhar, another accused, objected to the witness deposing on the contents of the footage and claimed that a copy of it had still not been given to the defence.
Jadhav also contended that the witness, Ajay Vora, was known to police and was therefore specifically called to act as a panch witness.
Hema and Bhambhani were killed on December 11, 2015. Their bodies were found stuffed in cardboard boxes, which were thrown into a ditch in Kandivali.
According to the prosecution, the murders were the handywork of Hema’s husband, Chintan Upadhyay, also an artist, who had hired the Rajbhars to get the two killed.
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Woman in Kharghar duped of ₹8.95 lakh for believing black magic would reunite her with her boyfriend
A 27-year-old computer engineer lost ₹8.95 lakh after believing the claims of ‘magic power’ of a man whose videos she saw on the internet. The complainant was in a relationship with one Abhishek, who resided in Nanded before they broke up last year. Abhishek had blocked her from all social media sites. One’Khan Saab’, whom she claimed to be the one with’magic powers’ first told the complainant that she had to pay ₹50,000 and also give a photograph of Abhishek to conduct the magic.
-
2008 Malegaon blast: One more witness turns hostile
Mumbai The special court hearing the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case declared one more witness hostile on Tuesday. One of the accused Sudhakar Chaturvedi had stayed in the witness’ house in Lucknow between March 2006 and June 2007. The witness accepted that he had given the statement to the National Investigation Agency but refused to recognise Chaturvedi or remember anything because of the time that has lapsed over the years.
-
Bengal BJP leader Dilip Ghosh censured by party brass after his attack on CBI
Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda has censured the party’s former West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh for back-to-back comments against the Central Bureau of Investigation and alleging a nexus between a section of the federal agency’s officers and leaders of the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress, BJP leaders aware of the development said. Nadda called up Ghosh on Monday evening and told him not to make such remarks in public.
-
Savarkar Ratha Yatra will bring awareness about the freedom fighter: Yediyurappa
Former chief minister of Karnataka and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa flagged off ‘Savarkar Ratha Yatra’ on Tuesday at Mysuru of Karnataka. The yatra is being organised to make people aware of Veer Savarkar’s contribution to the nation and soon, it will take place in many places of the state. Yediyurappa was recently elevated as a member of the Central Parliamentary Board of Bharatiya Janata Party.
-
65-year-old truck driver electrocuted to death in Thane
A 65-year truck driver died of electrocution after the deceased Bhaurao Narayan Chavhan came in contact with a distribution point (DP) at Amanlal chawl in Upvan, Thane, on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred while the deceased Bhaurao Narayan Chavhan came out of his truck to move a two-wheeler parked on the way. His leg came in contact with a live metal part of the DP and was electrocuted.