Navi Mumbai man arrested for strangling ailing younger brother in Kharghar's Khanda Colony

A case that has shaken residents has come to light in Khanda Colony, Navi Mumbai. According to police, an elder brother is accused of strangling his ailing younger brother with a nylon rope and then trying to make it look like a natural death. The attempt failed because of alert neighbours and the police forensic investigation.

The deceased is Rohan Bhagwan Sanas, 40. The accused is his elder brother, Rahul Bhagwan Sanas, 45. The brothers lived in Om Vaibhav Co-operative Society in Sector 7 of Khanda Colony. Rohan had been battling a serious illness for a long time. The cost of treatment kept rising and there were constant quarrels at home, causing great tension in the family. Fed up with this atmosphere, the accused Rahul's wife and children had gone to their village six months earlier.

At around 3 pm on November 4, Rahul claimed that Rohan had died a natural death in his sleep. He called an ambulance to take the body away. But as the body was being placed in the ambulance, the collar of the shirt suddenly slipped. Neighbours saw rope marks on Rohan's neck.

Suspicious, the neighbours immediately went to Khandeshwar police station. On receiving the information, Senior Police Inspector Smita Dhakane, Sub-Inspector Akshay Chavan and their team went to the spot. They also called in a forensic team.

During the investigation, a nylon rope was found hanging from a beam on the first floor of the house. The post-mortem report made clear that death was caused by strangulation. This deepened police suspicion. When Rahul was questioned closely, discrepancies were found in his statements. Eventually, when police pressed him harder, Rahul confessed that, fed up with the illness and the expenses, he had strangled his brother with the nylon rope.

Khandeshwar police have registered a murder case and arrested the accused, Rahul. A court has sent him to police custody until November 7.