The crime branch will be summoning stock broker Gautam Vora for questioning him after investigations revealed that Mr Vora was in touch with murder accused Vijay Palande even after he escaped from police custody. Police said they will now probe Vora’s connection with Palande and find out what Palande requested from him while on the run.
Palande was being brought to Mumbai on April 11 from Karad by a team of policemen when near Andheri railway station, Palande opened the police vehicle and walked away into the crowd. Palande was later arrested from outside Churchgate railway station by crime branch officers. Palande is accused of killing film producer Karan Kakkar and plotting the murder of Arunkumar Tikku at his flat in Oshiwara.
“Our investigations have revealed that after escaping from police custody Palande had made a few phone calls and some of them were made to Mr Vora. He was in constant touch with him and therefore we will be calling Mr Vora for questioning,” said a senior crime branch officer.
The officer said that they want to ascertain what discussion the two had during that period. “We will be recording Vora’s statement in detail and corroborate the same with the statement given by Palande to us,” he said.
Earlier the police probe had revealed that Mr Vora was in touch with Simrin Sood who allegedly passed on details of Mr Vora’s business to Palande. “However now it has become evident that Palande was also close to Mr Vora,” said an officer.
Police sources said that Mr Vora also allegedly had an affair with Sood. Mr Vora’s name had first cropped up when police were investigating the suicide of super model Viveka Babajee who had hanged herself from a ceiling fan at her Bandra flat. Mr Vora was in a relationship with Babajee.