Cops trace SUV of accused, dealer who sold him chemical

The Dadar police are strengthening the case against film-production firm owner Jerrit John, arrested on Saturday for allegedly throwing a chemical on physiotherapist Aruanka Hosbetkar's face. They are tracing the location of important evidence such as the SUV he had abandoned after fleeing the crime scene, as well as identifying whom he had bought the chemical from.

Officers said John had confessed to the crime and divulged information that would lead them to the evidence required to corroborate the police's version of how the crime unfolded.

John (46) was arrested from a Nalasopara hotel after he threw a chemical at Hosbetkar, 26, at her Worli home on Wednesday. Officers said they had asked for John's custody to seize vital evidence like his SUV, the mobile phone that he had allegedly snatched from Hosbetkar on the day of the incident, and the hard disk of his laptop.

On Monday, John told police officers that he had parked his SUV near Bhayander railway station. He had used the vehicle to reach the victim's residence and then flee from the spot before heading to Valsad so that he could remain in hiding until his lawyer applied for anticipatory bail. The police will send a team to recover the vehicle on Tuesday.

John has also given the address of the dealer from whom he bought the liquid chemical. A team will question the dealer from Masjid Bunder. "We will find out the nature of the chemical, which will help us add charges of the Explosives Act on him or book him for attempt to murder," said Dhananjay Kulkarni, DCP (Zone 5).

Police officers said after attacking Hosbetkar, John went to his office at Chuim Village in Khar Danda and erased the CCTV footage there. "John had left Hosbetkar's mobile phone at his office," said an officer.

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