Bombay high court lawyer stabbed to death, transgender among 3 held

CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: A Bombay high court lawyer, 49-year-old Mithun Bhaskar, was stabbed to death late on Wednesday night on the Beed Bypass Road in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and the police on Thursday arrested a transgender person and two accomplices in connection with the murder.

"Our teams detected the case within hours of the incident coming to light. Now, we are working to ascertain the exact role of each accused," said police commissioner Pravin Pawar.

According to MIDC Cidco police, the prime accused, Sadiq/Sheeba Bashir Ansari, a 40-year-old transgender person who identifies as a woman, and accomplices Rahul Nivdunge (18) and Nanaksingh Junni (20), were taken into custody.

A case of murder was registered against the trio based on a complaint lodged by the deceased lawyer's sister, who is a police officer.

Senior inspector Somnath Jadhav, of the MIDC Cidco, said that during interrogation, Ansari confessed that Bhaskar allegedly approached her on the highway and both went into nearby bushes, around 100m from the road. A heated argument reportedly broke out between them over a monetary dispute, following which the accused, with the help of the two accomplices, attacked the lawyer.

Crime branch inspector Gajanan Kalyankar said Bhaskar was stabbed in the thigh during the scuffle. "We suspect that the injury may have ruptured the femoral artery, leading to severe blood loss and his eventual death," he said.

Spot panchnama findings revealed that despite being grievously injured, Bhaskar managed to walk over 100m back towards the highway before collapsing near his moped.

A passerby noticed the injured man lying along the roadside near Gandheli and alerted emergency services by dialling 112. Initially, the Chikalthana police reached the scene, but later confirmed that the location fell under the jurisdiction of city police. The MIDC Cidco police team, led by inspector Jadhav, subsequently took over the investigation.

During the probe, the police also found that the accused allegedly operated along the highway at night, targeting men, particularly truck drivers from other states. Investigators suspect that, along with offering services, the accused and accomplices would rob victims.

Further investigation is underway to establish the exact sequence of events and whether the accused were involved in similar crimes in the past.

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