Mumbai: Top Bandra paanwala's son kidnapped, killed 2 days before b'day

Nikunj Chaurasiarsquos father Munna a wellknown paanseller at Bandra Talao near his store after his sonrsquos cremation on Sunday PicsSatej ShindeThe son of Bandrarsquos famous paanwala Munna Chaurasia was found murdered on the outskirts of Mumbai a few days ago And as a cruel twist of fate would have had it the grieving family cremated Nikunj 23 on Saturday which happened to be his birthday The Kashimira and Bandra police are investigating to find the killerNikunj ChaurasiaMunna has been famous around the Bandra Talao and adjoining areas for his paan for over two decadesThe Kashimira police are involved as they had received a call about a partially naked body with injuries to the head and upper body in the creek at Ghodbunder Road on November 24 which was later identified as Nikunjrsquos He was repeatedly hit on the head with a stone and killedAlso Read Mystery shrouds Mumbai paanwalas death by poisoned kheerIn griefldquoNikunj would remind me about his birthday each time he visited the shop He used to say lsquoPapa iss baar mera birthday galli me manaayenge DJ music ke saath biryani order karenge aur sab ko bulaayengersquo Dad this time I want to celebrate my birthday in this lane where Munnarsquos shop is located with DJ and biryani for dinner and we will invite everyone Everyone came but not for his birthday for his cremationrdquo a weeping Munna told middayldquoHe was my only son we were planning to get him married He used to come to Bandra from our residence in Null Bazar on the bike I had gifted him four years ago There is no question of him going to Kashimira he only had friends in Bandra and South Mumbai why would he go to KashimiraldquoOn November 23 around 815pm when he was at the shop he told me he was hungry and wanted to go for snacks He walked through the lane when he did not return for over half an hour I called him on his cell phone He told me he was still having snacks and would come in a while We spoke again around 915 pm and he said he would be returning shortly but when he failed to turn up till 1040 pm I called him again and his phone was switched off I thought he would be at his favourite burger stall near Bandra junction I waited for him till midnight and then started searching for him in the vicinity with a few locals When we could not find him I lodged a missing person complaint at Bandra police station around 2 am We also circulated his photo on WhatsApp to people known in the area and among his friendsrdquoRobbery the motiveSenior inspector Vilas Sanap of Kashimira police station said ldquoWe registered a case under section 302 murder of the Indian Penal Code and handed over the body to the family Further investigations are onrdquoThe body was sent to JJ hospital for postmortem ldquoThe report is awaited there were injuries on the right side of his head it looked like he was attacked with a stone Also there were multiple marks on his body including his chestrdquo said an officerMunna said Nikunj loved wearing gold ornaments he used to wear chains bracelets and rings ldquoThe day he disappeared he had on him nine tolas of gold mdash three chains with pendants two rings and a bracelet mdash and R12000 in cash When we identified him in JJ hospital all the valuables were missingrdquo he addedProbe underwayAs part of the investigations the police have recovered footage from two CCTVs close to Bandra Talao mdash Nikunj was seen walking later having a conversation with two people known to him and then moving towards Bandra junctionAn officer from Bandra police station said ldquoWe are coordinating with the Kashimira police in the investigations The process of retrieving the deceasedrsquos cell phone records is underwayrdquoSenior inspector of Bandra police station Pandit Thackrey said ldquoThe case has not been transferred to us We are assisting as the missing person complaint was lodged hererdquo