SC orders arrest of builder Bijlani in Lahoria murder

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Mumbai police to arrest builder Suresh Bijlani, prime accused in the murder of Navi Mumbai builder Sunil Lahoria. The SC set aside the Indore high court’s grant of anticipatory bail to Bijlani, who had cited his father’s ill health in his bail plea.
Lahoria’s son Sandeep told TOI that Bijlani had suppressed facts while seeking interim relief.“On May 13, the same SC bench (comprising Justices B A Chavan and Deepak Mishra) had rejected Bijlani’s bail and when this was brought to light, the court immediately stayed the Indore HC’s order,” he said.
A source said Bijlani plans to surrender before the Mumbai crime branch. Joint commissioner of police (crime) Himanshu Roy said the police were still to receive the SC order. Interestingly, Bijlani, who the police say cannot be traced, was seen at the crime branch’s office in Crawford Market last week with a copy of the Indore HC’s bail order. Bijlani told TOI at the time that he had been framed as his name could not possibly have been uttered by Lahoria while he was dying, given the state he must have been after being hit .
Lahoria was shot dead on February 16 outside his Navi Mumbai office, following which shooters Venkatesh Shettiar and Wajid Qureshi, former encounter specialist Emmanuel Amolik, and five others were arrested. Shettiar’s call details show he was in touch with Amolik who in turn was in contact with Bijlani and architect Anuragh Garg. In fact, Garg was the architect for all five builders accused in the Lahoria case: Bijlani, Bhupesh Gupta, S P Agarwal, Sumit Bacchewar and Vijay Gagra. Bacchewar and Gupta have been arrested; the others are at large. Lahoria is said to have crossed swords with them over alleged illegalities in Navi Mumbai projects.