Mumbai: Sachin Kurmi (46), a leader of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was killed in Mumbai’s Byculla area in the early hours of October 5, around 12:27 am, ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
While the assailants remain unidentified, police reported that the incident occurred near Shankeshwar Darshan, close to Kaichii Unisex Salon, in the New Patra Chawl area of Ghodapdeo, Byculla East. The salon, reportedly owned by the Kurmi family, was founded by Ritesh Kurmi (24), the nephew of the deceased Sachin Kurmi.
Ritesh Kurmi was the first in the family to learn of the incident. In his statement to the police, Ritesh said that on the night of the attack, he was with friends near the Gateway of India when he received a call from a relative, Pravin Kunabi. Kunabi informed him that Sachin had been attacked by unidentified assailants near their salon and urged him to rush to the scene immediately.
Upon arriving at the scene, Ritesh Kurmi found a large crowd gathered near the salon, accompanied by a dozen uniformed police officers. In his statement, Ritesh recounted, “When I arrived, I saw my uncle at Anant Ganpat Lane, behind United Mill number 05, next to a shop named Feroze Food and Flavours. He was in a bloodied condition and unconscious. He had severe bruises on his head, suggesting he had been attacked with a sharp object. There were also bruises and injuries on his stomach, neck, and other parts of his body.”
The Byculla police present at the scene rushed Sachin Kurmi to JJ Hospital, but he was declared dead by the doctors at 1:20 am. Preliminary reports indicate that the cause of death was severe head injuries and significant blood loss.
Meanwhile, another police team conducted a punchnama at the crime scene while the forensics team examined the area for evidence of the assailants. According to police officials, they are reviewing footage from neighbouring CCTV cameras to gather leads on the suspects and are questioning Sachin’s friends and family to establish a motive for the murder. As of Saturday evening, the police have determined that at least 2 to 3 assailants were involved in the attack.
Sachin Kurmi is survived by his wife, Anupama (41), daughter Yukti (21), and son Shreyas (17), all of whom resided in the Byculla area.
