Mumbai: The suspected killers of the Santacruz businessman had obtained thallium and arsenic from a South Mumbai-based supplier as samples, claiming that they wanted to order bulk quantities of the highly toxic chemicals for their pharmaceutical manufacturing unit, Mumbai police crime branch officials said.
Officials associated with Unit 9 of the Crime Branch, which is probing the suspected murder of Kamalkant Shah, 45, by his wife Kavita and her lover Hitesh Jain, said Jain knew the supplier of toxic chemical and lured him to part with small quantities of the chemicals by promising him bulk orders.
According to the police, the deceased, a textile businessman, got married to Kavita in 2002. The couple has two children— a 20-year-old daughter and a 17-year-old son. Jain was Shah’s friend as he was also in the garment business and stayed in Vile Parle.
Jain and Kavita were having an extramarital affair for around a decade due to which Kavita and Shah used to fight.
During the investigation, it was found that the woman and Jain both wanted to get married and also usurp Shah’s property. They had planned to kill Shah, and accordingly they had started mixing arsenic in his food, due to which his health deteriorated and Shah was initially admitted in CritiCare Hospital in Andheri on August 27, added officer.
He was later shifted to Bombay Hospital on September 3, where he died on September 19. The hospital authority had informed the Azad Maidan police. The incident was reported and transferred to the Santacruz police, who recorded the statement of Shah’s sister Kavita Lalwani. Shah’s sister suspected foul play in his death.
The crime branch officials said that the medical report of the Bombay Hospital, where Shah was admitted, suggested traces of thallium and arsenic in his body.
Based on the circumstantial, technical evidence and medical evidence, Kavita and Jain were arrested on the charge of murder on Friday. Both are in police custody till December 8 for further investigation, the officer added.
Shah’s mother, Sarladevi, had died on August 13 with similar health issues. She was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri on August 2.
The family members thought that she was having fever and could have died due to old age, said a police officer. “However, now, it appears that her death could have also been planned and she too was given arsenic. We will also investigate the woman’s death,” the officer added.