Man arrested for murdering acquaintance at Goregaon bar

MUMBAI: A 44-year-old man was arrested by Vanrai police on Thursday in connection with the murder of an acquaintance at the vacant Dhadkan bar in Goregaon East.
The deceased, Raghu alias Arun Gowda, 43, worked as a manager at another bar in Malad West. Police said the accused, Devraj Gowda, held a grudge against Raghu.
According to the police, Devraj was a frequent visitor at the Malad-based bar. Early on February 25, a fight broke out between a customer at the bar and Devraj. In a scuffle that followed, Devraj was beaten up.
Devraj held Raghu responsible for the incident, though Raghu was not present at the Malad bar at the time of the incident. Devraj also suspected Raghu of poisoning the ears of the owner of the Malad bar against him.
The same morning, Devraj headed to Dhadkan bar in Goregaon East, where Raghu and a few other bar employees used to sleep as the bar was vacant for a year. The door was locked, but Devraj, a former employee of Dhadkan bar, knew his way inside by scaling the property. He allegedly bludgeoned Raghu with an iron rod and fled.
Later, another bar employee sleeping nearby heard whimpers and found Raghu to be seriously injured. He informed the police and rushed Raghu to Trauma Care Hospital. Further, Raghu was moved to another hospital but succumbed to his injuries early on February 26.
Vanrai police registered a case of murder and examined CCTV footage. They combed the city and found Devraj asleep on a beach at Mahim on Thursday. He was taken into custody.