Mumbai: Four years after murders, Chintan Upadhayay trial starts

MUMBAI: Almost four years after bodies of artist Hema Upadhyay and her lawyer Haresh Bha-mbhani were recovered fr-om a nullah in Kandivli, the trial commenced on Thursday against her estranged husband, artist Chintan Upadhayay, and others accused of the double murder. The first witness to depose was the complainant, an assistant inspector at Kandivli police station, who was among those who recovered the bodies on December 12, 2015.The deposition commenced at noon before the court of additional sessions judge S S Oza.
Chintan, Pradeep Rajbhar, Shivkumar Rajbhar and Vijay Rajbhar, all accused, were produced from Thane jail at 2.45pm and were not present when the witness deposed earlier.
In his examination in chief by special public prosecutor Vaibhav Bagade, the witness recalled how he got a tip-off about two suspicious boxes in the nullah. He said he saw two long packages, and when a person sent into the water opened one, he saw a woman's leg. He said that believing that the other box would also have something suspicious he called the inspector to the spot. He said the inspector called Kandivli fire brigade, which removed the packages.
The witness said that when the packages were opened, they found the body of a woman aged 40-45. He recalled that the woman wore a black top with black leggings. He said the other package had the body of a man, who was around 55. He said the man's hands, legs, eyes and mouth were bound by black tape. The bodies were later taken to Shatabdi hospital and a complaint was filed.
The cop said he suspected that more than one person had murdered the two and had wrapped their bodies in white plastic covers and cardboard boxes and thrown them in the nullah to destroy evidence.
After the first part of his deposition was done at 12.55pm, over the next 20 minutes, he identified articles recovered from the spot. Brought in two large white plastic gunny bags, the articles included the victims' clothes, boxes in which their bodies were disposed, tape used to tie hands and white plastic sheet in which the bodies were wrapped. The witness also identified photographs he had taken at the spot and hospital.
On the defence's request, the court adjourned the matter to August 30 for cross-examination of the witness.
The December 10, 2015, murders were allegedly carried out by absconding accused Vidyadhar Rajbhar, a fabrication workshop owner, along with his aides, at Chintan's behest. Vidyadhar ran a fabrication workshop in Kandivli and had worked for Chintan and Hema.
In February, the Supreme Court rejected Chintan's bail plea but directed that the trial be completed within nine months. Chintan was arrested in December 2015.