MUMBAI: Hitesh Bhagat alias Chintoo (35), the only son of Jaya Bhagat who was convicted along with five other accused in killing his own father last year, died in a Kolhapur general hospital on early Sunday morning. Sources said that he was suffering some stomach ailment for past few years since he did the liposuction surgery. Jail authorities said that Hitesh had reported pain in his stomach last month and since than he was regularly taken for check up however last week, he was admitted due to some stomach complications.
In 2008, Hitesh underwent liposuction surgery at hospital and since than he developed stomach complications. Prior to the operation, he was around 110kg, but now weighs around 65 to 70kg. One of Hitesh's lawyers had than told TOI "After liposuction, he had been advised a liquid diet, but once he went on the run following his father's murder he went underground for over a month and could not stick to the diet." Dr Muffazal Lakhdawala was initial treating Hitesh at Raheja Hospital. In 2010, there are reports that he was diagnosed with TB. Additional director general of police (Prisons) Meeran Borwankar confirmed this. "He was having some health problem since very beginning and recently he was admitted at Kolhapur government hospital. He died today morning." said Borwankar.
Interestingly Hitesh and his mother Jaya Chedda were instrumental in planning and executing the killing of matka king Suresh Bhagat to gain over the 3,000 crore matka business. In 2008, TOI in its June 16 edition was first to break the story that it was not accident but a foul play. Sources in the matka business said that immediately after the news of his death was spread, the main matka business shut down its business in Mumbai, Thane and small districts in Thane. There are reports that Jaya and Hitesh ran the business from inside the jail in connivance with their uncle Kiran Chheda from Gujarat.
Chedda, Hitesh Bhagat, Chedda's alleged paramour Suhas Roge, Pravin Shetty alias Pappu, Harish Mandvikar alias Ganiga and Kiran Amle were convicted under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 20,000 each.
In July last year the court convicted six accused including Jaya and Hitesh in the murder of 'matka king' Suresh Bhagat under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention). Inspector Ramesh Mahale who took a voluntary retirement a year ago had probe the investigations headed by Rakesh Maria who was than joint commissioner of police crime.
On June 11, 2008, a truck rammed a Scorpio in which Suresh Bhagat and others were travelling, killing all of them. They were returning from an Alibaug court, where the hearing of a 1998 narcotics case had been held. Among those arrested was truck driver Praveen Shetty, who alleged that there was a conspiracy to kill Suresh. Shetty named Harish Mandvekar, who said a contract to eliminate Bhagat had been given by a Suhas Roge. Roge told police that Hitesh and his mother Jaya had hatched the plot. Hitesh and nine others, including Jaya, were arrested and were tried under the stringent act of MCOCA. During the investigations it was transpired that Jaya who had divorced Suresh Bhagat had paid Rs 45 lakh 'supari' to her paramour and Arun Gawli gang member Roge who, in turn, gave it to Mandvikar to carry out the hit. The prosecution alleged the truck was owned by Shaikh and driven by Shetty. Poojari was said to be the 'legal adviser' in the syndicate, helping the co-accused, to ensure that they were not caught.
A gamble that didn't pay off
The murder
On June 13, 2008, matka king Suresh Bhagat (46) and six others, including his lawyer and bodyguards, were killed on Alibaug-Pen Road when a truck rammed into their SUV. Initially, a case of rash driving was registered. Investigations, though, revealed the accident had been allegedly orchestrated by his ex-wife Jaya Chedda (then 45) and son Hitesh for taking over his gambling business.
Those held guilty
1. Jaya Chedda: Bhagat's former wife. He divorced Chedda after suspecting her of an illicit relationship with Suhas Roge, an Arun Gawli aide. She has been convicted of his murder
2. Hitesh Bhagat alias Chintoo: Their 32-yearold son. Both father and son were co-accused in a narcotics case and were to appear in Alibaug court the day Bhagat was killed. Two days before the hearing, Hitesh's advocate moved an application seeking exemption from being present due to ill-health. Hitesh flew to Hong Kong instead. He was convicted
3. Roge promised a supari of Rs 45 lakh to close friend Harish Mandvikar. He, in turn, promised money to truck driver Pravin Shetty and truck owner Azimuddin Shaikh
4. Shetty told the police that Mandvikar paid him Rs 3 lakh to ram the truck into Bhagat's SUV
5. Truck owner Shaikh was initially lured by Mandvikar who said he just "wanted to break somebody's hands and legs" and was promised Rs 5 lakh. Shaikh turned approver in the case
6. Accident was Roge's idea, said the police
7. Kiran Poojari followed Bhagat to Alibaug and alerted driver Shetty. He later turned approver
8. Kiran Amle was at the conspiracy meetings with driver Shetty and execution of the crime
The case details
June to July 2008: All the 8 accused were arrested
July 9, 2008: MCOCA was applied in the case
October 1, 2008: A charge sheet filed under MCOCA
December 12, 2008: Roge filed for revoking MCOCA
April 24, 2009: MCOCA was dropped
June 30, 2011: Charges were framed under the IPC
August 8, 2011, and April 4, 2012: Poojari and Shaikh filed applications to be made approvers
July 26, 2013: Conviction order was passed