Nagpur: The much talked Subhash Shahu murder mystery is likely to be solved soon as Crime Branch has picked up a close friend of the deceased on Wednesday night suspected to be involved in the crime. The accused Mahesh alias Gamchu Namdevrao Lambat (45) was arrested from his Old Shukrawari residence at 9 pm yesterday. It is learnt that the Kotwali cops had closed the file as no headway was made in the murder of Subhash Shahu thjat took place in 2011. However, when relatives of deceased met the DGP Pravin Dixit the case was handed over to Crime Branch. The arrest of the accused Mahesh Lambat was result of the same.
According to police sources, Subhash Shahu (48), resident of Old Shukrawari, was poisoned to death on September 28, 2011. Deceased Subhash used to install idol of Goddess Durga during Navratri festivity. Just 15 days before the murder of Subhash Shahu, a tantrik used to meet him. On the day of incident which was the day of installation of idol of Goddess Durga the tantrik had given Subhash a packet saying it contained ‘prasad.’ The tantrik had told Subhash to consume the ‘prasad’ in the seclusion. The moment Subhash had consumed the stuff his health started deteriorating. He died in the hospital. At that time the cause of Subhash’s death was stated to be due to cardiac arrest. Kotwali police had even registered a case of accidental death but changed it as murder case when the post-mortem revealed finding of potassium cyanide residues in the viscera.
Sources said that Kotwali police subsequently started searching for the tantrik for getting any clue in the death of Subhash. The cops reportedly probed the matter for the sake of a probe. Two years afterr the investigation, Kotwali cops closed the file. However, Subhash’s brother had approached the court and opposed closing of the file. When the lethargic attitude of cops came to the fore, the relatives of deacesed Subhash decided to meet the higher police officials and urge them to start the probe afresh. Thereafter, the Kotwali police, on the basis of a sketch and eye-witness account, traced the tantrik. However, the cops developed cold feet when the eye-witnesses failed to recognise the tantrik. The frustrated relatives then met DGP Pravin Dixit and apprised him about the episode. Meeting with the DGP worked as the Commissioner of Police S P Yadav then handed over the case to Crime Branch. It is further learnt that the deceased Subhash reportedly was involved in cricket betting and had connections with crime world. It is alleged that to end the clout of Subhash he was eliminated in the ‘Supari’ (contract) killing allegedly by his close ones. Since Subhash was a religious man the tantrik emerged as the ‘best choice’ to get rid of Subhash Shahu.
