MARCH 31: Additional Sessions Judge J W Singh today sentenced Ali Hussain Mohammed Hussain Bohri to rigorous life imprisonment in connection with the murder of a Baroda-based businessman at Khar in 1995. Bohri has also been sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment for abducting the businessman, Raja Chulani.Chulani would visit Mumbai frequently for his father's treatment. During his visits, he would frequent a bar at a hotel Raj Mahal, Khar, along with a friend, Sunder Ramchandani. There, he would offer tips to a bar girl Rekha Singh, alias Dolly. This was not liked by Bohri, an employee with a local caterer, who was in love with Dolly. However, she had turned him down. The police said both Bohri and Chulani had given false names to Dolly. While Bohri had introduced himself as Mohan to Dolly, Chulani introduced himself as Saibaba.
The incident leading up to the murder took place between May 16 and 17. On the night of May 16, Chulani, accompanied by Sunder, visited Hotel Raj Mahal. Chulani andDolly were supposed to meet up outside Hotel Niagara, a short distance away from Raj Mahal.
At 12.30 am, when Chulani and Dolly met, Bohri arrived there in an autorickshaw and shoved Chulani into the vehicle at knife-point. A frightened Dolly, who was accompanied by a colleague, boarded another rickshaw and went towards Santacruz. Raja's friend Sunder, who was on the other side, thought that Raja was picked up by the police, and went to the Khar and Santacruz police stations to make enquiries.
On May 17, at around 7.00 am, the Khar police recovered Chulani's body near the Gurudarshan building at Khar (west). The body had two stab injuries and one abrasion. After Dolly's statement was recorded, the police arrested Bohri and recovered a blood-stained knife from his residence.
Special Public Prosecutor Vishwas Patil appeared for the state while Amin Solkar appeared for the accused.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
